Mass Effect Director Shuts Down His New Studio Due to Lack of Funding

Humanoid Origin, previously known as Humanoid Studios, a Canadian game developer founded years ago by Casey Hudson (former director of the Mass Effect trilogy), has been shut down due to lack of funding. The news was posted today on the game’s LinkedIn page:

Earlier today, we informed our staff that Humanoid Origin will be shutting down. Despite efforts to shield the studio from broader challenges in the industry, an unexpected shortfall of funding left us unable to sustain operations. We’re heartbroken that we will not be able to bring our new science-fiction universe to completion. Our main concern at this time however is for our team, and we are committed to supporting them in their transition to new employment.

In our time together, the team achieved incredible progress, and demonstrated that it’s possible to do amazing work while fostering a culture of fun and creativity. We thank them for their talent, courage, and friendship. Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout our journey.

The team, which had offices in Edmonton, Alberta, and Kelowna, British Columbia, was making a multiplatform triple-A sci-fi game, which made perfect sense since Hudson had such experience in the setting. He was also the Game Director of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (which is supposedly getting a remake at some point).

At Humanoid Origin, our mission is to deliver magical interactive storytelling, by connecting talented creatives to powerful tools, in a safe & supportive environment.

While Hudson’s project fell through, there’s another big triple-A sci-fi game from former BioWare developers on the way: Exodus, in development at Archetype Entertainment, founded by James Ohlen and Drew Karpyshyn. The game has big Mass Effect vibes, although it has its own twist with the time dilation mechanics that promise great consequences for each choice made by players during their missions.