- Sony is closing down Neon Koi and has cancelled its mobile action game
- The studio was acqiured in 2022 and rebranded from Savage Game Studios
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Sony Interactive Entertainment has cancelled Neon Koi’s mobile game and is closing down the studio.
The decision was made after evaluating the “potential” of the game to reach global audiences and meet player expectations.
Sony’s Studio Business Group CEO Hermen Hulst informed staff in an internal email that though he is grateful for Neon Koi’s “hard work and endless passion”, Sony would now focus on games in line with PlayStation Studios’ “pedigree” titles.
“Mobile remains a priority”
Neon Koi’s teams were based in Berlin and Helsinki and the studio was in the process of developing an action game for mobile. Previously known as Savage Game Studios, It was acquired by Sony in 2022 before later rebranding to Neon Koi. Co-founder Michail Katkoff left the company in 2023.
Despite the closure, Hulst claimed mobile “remains a priority growth area” for the company and said it was in the “very early stage of our mobile efforts”. Sony-owned Bungie recently announced its partnership with NetEase for Destiny: Rising on mobile.
“Expanding beyond PlayStation devices and crafting engaging online experiences alongside our single-player games are key focal areas for us as we evolve our revenue streams,” said Hulst.
“We need to be strategic, though, in bringing our games to new platforms and recognise when our games fall short of meeting player expectations.
“While mobile remains a priority growth area for the studio business, we are in the very early stage of our mobile efforts. To achieve success in this area we need to concentrate on titles that are in-line with PlayStation Studios’ pedigree and have the potential to reach more players globally.
“With this re-focused approach, Neon Koi will close, and its mobile action game will not be moving forward. I want to express my gratitude to everyone at Neon Koi for their hard work and endless passion to innovate.”
Hulst also announced the closure of Firewalk, the studio behind PvP shooter Concord. The console and PC game released on August 23rd this year and went offline on September 6th due to poor sales.
Some Neon Koi and Firewalk staff may be reassigned to other Sony teams “where possible”.
