Developer of Distinctive RPGs Steelrising and GreedFall May Be Closing After 18 Years in Business

It seems that Spider’s chances of surviving its current debt restructuring are slim, given the insolvency of its parent company, Nacon. Reports indicate that the ongoing court procedures for the RPG developer are merely a “formality” as employees at the 18-year-old Paris studio are actively seeking new job opportunities.

The staff is making the best of a tough situation, with the CSE organizing a buyback of equipment for those who want it. They’ve decided to turn their final weekly gathering into a heartfelt tribute to the studio’s nearly two decades of existence. Spiders was among several studios that Nacon was attempting to sell off as it faced financial difficulties. A request for comment from Nacon went unanswered.

Founded in 2008 by developers who previously worked on Silverfall at Monte Cristo, Spiders initially released a series of smaller RPGs and licensed titles. It wasn’t until 2016’s Technomancer, set in a futuristic Mars colony, that the studio began to capture a wider audience. Despite its mixed reviews, Technomancer showcased the kind of creative ambition that larger studios had moved away from.

“There’s something endearing about The Technomancer,” noted a former editor. “It starts with that silly name and carries through to its story and art design. This is the little RPG that could… the more you play, the more it somehow grows on you. Despite its familiar elements and presentation flaws, there’s a charming French quirkiness that starts to stand out.”

Following Technomancer, Spiders aimed higher with more polished titles like 2019’s merchant-focused RPG GreedFall and the 2022 Soulslike Steelrising, inspired by the French Revolution. Unfortunately, their latest release, GreedFall 2: The Dying World, faced a rocky Early Access launch and didn’t meet fan expectations.

The French video game union Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo has pointed fingers at Nacon and its leadership for the studio’s recent troubles. They stated that the executives’ lack of respect for game production and their mismanagement actively undermined studios that were otherwise viable before their acquisition, jeopardizing promising projects.

The union further criticized the decline in working conditions over recent years and the establishment of new studios with the apparent intent to undermine existing ones, which only exacerbated the situation.