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Heart Machine Ends Hyper Light Breaker Development, Announces Second Round of Layoffs

The studio blames broader industry pressures, citing funding shifts, corporate consolidation, an uncertain market.

Overview

  • Heart Machine will pause further updates and developer Q&As for the rest of 2025 as it winds down the Early Access project.
  • A concluding, more polished update is planned for January 2026 to refine key systems and provide a final punctuation point.
  • The company did not disclose how many employees were laid off and says it will continue making games with a smaller core team.
  • Hyper Light Breaker launched on Steam Early Access on January 14, 2025 and holds a mixed user rating from roughly 2,500 reviews.
  • The studio says Possessor(s) remains on track for November 11, 2025 on PS5 and PC, with that team not impacted by the cuts.