Survival Game Sequel Delayed, Leading to Staff Layoffs at Studio

We first caught wind of the frosty survival game The Long Dark getting a sequel during the 2024 Game Awards. Titled Blackfrost: The Long Dark 2, this follow-up to the acclaimed 2017 first-person survival experience set in the Canadian wilderness was initially slated for early access in 2026. However, that timeline has shifted, as developer Hinterland’s founder, Raphael van Lierop, has announced that the game won’t be launching in any form this year. As a result, the studio is letting go of 10 full-time developers and four contractors. In a statement shared on LinkedIn, van Lierop expressed his sadness over the decision, stating, “I’ve made the difficult decision today to part ways with 10 of our cherished colleagues. We also will not extend some existing fixed-term contracts when they expire, impacting another 4 team members, bringing the total affected to 14.” While the reasons hint at broader industry challenges, the main issue appears to be that Blackfrost isn’t ready for early access this year. Van Lierop noted that this delay means significant expected revenue will also be pushed back, and the layoffs are intended to help preserve the financial resources needed to launch the game and continue supporting their existing titles. The original The Long Dark first emerged in 2014 after a successful Kickstarter campaign the year prior. It stands out as a prime example of purposeful early access development, with the chilling survival sim receiving regular updates that expanded its core concepts until its polished final version in 2017. Players were always at risk of being devoured by wolves. Its only misstep was the initial rollout of the Wintermute story mode, where the first two of five chapters didn’t resonate well with players, though these were later revamped in a much-improved format. Remarkably, the fifth chapter is still pending, with a release date set for March 31, 2026, and van Lierop assures that the recent layoffs won’t impact its launch. Planned updates for the original game scheduled for this year are also reportedly unaffected. “This is a heavy, heavy day for Hinterland,” the CEO remarked, “and our hearts are with all those affected by today’s layoff. I’m sorry to have had to let these people go.” The statement also mentioned efforts to assist those impacted in finding new opportunities, adding, “Any development studio in the industry would be fortunate to have any single one of these team members. We are a weaker studio for losing them, and they will be sorely missed.” This reduction in team size will likely complicate the development of Blackfrost, especially since the plan was never to release a fully finished game this year, but rather an early playable version. On a brighter note, Hinterland may see some financial relief with the news that the original The Long Dark is making its return to GOG after being mysteriously removed from the platform in 2018. It’s now available on the independent PC gaming store with a 25-percent discount for the next week.