Known for such games as Stray, Journey and Outer Wilds, indie publisher Annapurna Interactive has been rocked by the sudden resignation of its entire workforce.
In one of this week’s most startling games industry stories, the entire workforce at indie publisher Annapurna Interactive have reportedly quit.
The company, founded in 2016 by Megan Ellison, has become known for its impeccable taste in publishing and promoting creative, leftfield games, including Sam Barlow’s interactive thriller Telling Lies, Giant Sparrow’s What Remains Of Edith Finch, and cat-based cyberpunk adventure, Stray.
In more recent months, Annapurna had begun developing its first game in-house – Blade Runner 2033: Interactive. The future of that project, and other games due to emerge under the company’s banner, are now uncertain.
Word of the drama comes via Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who reports that the mass resignation was due to a dispute over Annapurna’s future. Annapurna Interactive boss Nathan Gary wanted to break the company away from Annapurna as a whole, allowing it to operate independently; the parties involved are said to have failed to reach an agreement, and off everyone went.
It’s thought that around 24 people worked at the company, and both they and Nathan Gary are now gone.
Megan Ellison, who’s now essentially without a studio, provided a statement to Bloomberg about the matter.
“Our top priority is continuing to support our developer and publishing partners during this transition,” Ellison said. “We’re committed to not only our existing slate of games but also expanding our presence in the interactive space as we continue to look for opportunities to take a more integrated approach to linear and interactive storytelling across film and TV, gaming, and theater.”
It’s currently not clear what happens next. It was only a couple of weeks ago that Annapurna announced its deal with Remedy Entertainment, with the two companies planning to adapt the latter’s Alan Wake and Control videogames for film and television. Annapurna also has a deal with Konami to publish Scottish developer No Code’s upcoming horror spin-off, Silent Hill: Townfall.
These may still emerge; Megan Ellison is the daughter of multi-billionaire Larry Ellison, so she likely has the means to rebuild Annapurna Interactive, given time. Or perhaps those mutinous staff members can be coaxed back. For now, one of gaming’s trendiest publishers faces an uncertain future.
