UPDATE: Saber Interactive has provided Insider Gaming with the following statement on the news that New World Interactive is being shut down.
“Saber can confirm there have been restructuring changes involving our New World Interactive subsidiary. This reorganization has unfortunately resulted in layoffs at the studio. We are working to fill existing open roles within Saber with individuals affected by these changes wherever feasible and we will be providing severance packages to those employees impacted.
“Development will continue on Insurgency: Sandstorm, as well as unannounced future projects.”
ORIGINAL: New World Interactive, the studio behind games Insurgency and Insurgency: Sandstorm, has been shut down by Embracer Group as part of the company’s self-described “restructuring”.
The news was first reported by Second Wind’s Nick Calandra and shortly confirmed to Insider Gaming by multiple sources. The announcement was made to employees on Monday morning.
Founded in 2010, New World Interactive’s first game, Insurgency, released in 2014. The studio put out two more titles – Day of Infamy and Insurgency: Sandstorm — before being acquired by Embracer Group in August 2020.
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The studio had multiple new games in development as of 2023, but none had been revealed. At last check, Insurgency: Sandstorm was averaging nearly 4,000 players per day on Steam over the last three months, six years after its release.
Embracer Group has yet to respond to comment on the closure of New World Interactive or respond to requests from Insider Gaming.
Recently, Embracer confirmed that Free Radical Design was at risk of closure while also laying off employees at multiple other studios. There have also been talks of selling Borderlands developer Gearbox Entertainment.
What do you make of Embracer Group continuing to layoff people and shut down studios like New World Interactive? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
