The developer behind numerous stealth strategy games in the past decade is shutting its doors permanently. Mimimi Games announced the surprising news today in a blog post only days after releasing a new game, stating it’s time for the indie studio to step away from the industry.
For those who have been fans of the genre, which was popularized in the 90s thanks to series like Commandos and Desperados, Mimimi Games should be a familiar name. The German-based studio has been responsible for well-received entries into the space like Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (2016), its spin-off Aiko’s Choice (2021), and Desperados III (2020).
The developer’s latest game, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, launched only a couple of weeks ago on August 17 as a multi-platform release across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. It is the first self-published title by the company. The sudden announcement of studio closure after this release has many fans surprised.
“Dedicating the past decade and a half of our lives working on increasingly ambitious games took a heavy personal toll on us and our families,” the studio says regarding the decision. “After the release of Shadow Gambit we decided it was the right time to prioritize our well-being and to pull the brakes instead of signing up for another multi-year production cycle.”
However, Mimimi Games assured Shadow Gambit buyers that support will continue for the title, at least in the short term. Patches and a “big content drop” are already planned for 2023 according to the studio. In the coming months though, its personnel are supposed to findpositions at other development teams. “Thanks to the recent launch of Shadow Gambit, we are also able to pay out a bonus to all employees to help them during their transition,” adds the company.
Studio founders Dominik Abé and Johannes Roth concluded the announcement by thanking fans, industry peers, publishers, and its team for their support during the journey so far.