Telltale Games Announces Closure After an “Incredibly Difficult Year”

Telltale Games, the studio behind some of the more popular narrative driven adventure titles, announced that it will be shutting down.

CEO Pete Hawley issued the following statement:

“It’s been an incredibly difficult year for Telltale as we worked to set the company on a new course. Unfortunately, we ran out of time trying to get there. We released some of our best content this year and received a tremendous amount of positive feedback, but ultimately, that did not translate to sales. With a heavy heart, we watch our friends leave today to spread our brand of storytelling across the games industry.”

The statement also stated that the company will keep 25 employees until they have fulfilled the company’s obligations to its board and partner.

Known for sparking the wave of dialog driven adventure games in the west, Telltale Games opened its doors in 2004, but wouldn’t fill a much-needed niche until 2012’s The Walking Dead. The studio found a way to tell stories within the world of popular franchises, such as Game of Thrones and Tales from the Borderlands, and give the player the ability to mold a story made entirely of their own choices.

Each title was released through episodes over a period of time that players can transfer save data to and continue their story. It created a way for players to be thoughtful about their choices and not rush through the game because the ending would inevitably be a cliffhanger.

Author’s take: We hope the best for the group of the developers who lost their job today, and to Telltale Games, we’ll miss you.