Echtra Games – the studio has previously worked on action RPG Torchlight 3 – has been shut down. The studio was said to have been working on a brand new action RPG that would be available on a host of different platforms and feature cross-platform multiplayer. Owned by Zynga, Echtra Games was based out of San Francisco, California, and its shutdown has led to at least 61 of its employees losing their jobs.
According to IGN, Zynga provided a statement about shutting the studio down. The company put the decision down to a “strategic realignment” of its priorities and resources.
“Zynga has made the difficult decision to cease operations at its Echtra studio, ending development on future titles and reducing roles,” said Zynga in its statement. “This decision is part of a strategic realignment of the company’s resources and priorities. We will work closely with impacted employees so they are treated with the utmost respect and consideration as we navigate this difficult process.”
Zynga had acquired Echtra Games just a year after it had released Torchlight 3, with the studio being put to work on a new action RPG alongside Zynga’s NaturalMotion. No details about the action RPG had been announced aside from the fact that it would feature cross-platform multiplayer, however.
“Echtra Games is delighted to be joining the Zynga family,” said studio founder Max Schaefer when the acquisition was first announced. “We share Zynga’s vision that cross-platform play is an essential part of the future of RPGs and interactive entertainment and are eager to apply our vast experience and talents to this effort.”
Echtra Games was founded by Blizzard North veteran and Runic Games co-founder Max Schaefer. Echtra Games had previously released Torchlight 3 – a game that was originally meant to be an MMORPG that the studio was working on with alongside Perfect World.
For more details about the studio’s last release, check out our review of Torchlight 3 from back in 2020.
