Firewall Ultra developer First Contact Entertainment has shut down after eight years. The studio cites the general lack of virtual reality support in the video games industry as the main reason.
In a Facebook post before Christmas, First Contact Entertainment said that it would close its doors by the end of 2023. “The lack of support for VR within the industry has eventually taken its toll,” the studio said. “As a AAA VR game developer, we are just not able to justify the expense needed gouging forward. We are a team of fearless innovators willing to push new technologies to its limits.”
First Contact Entertainment developed 2018’s Firewall Zero Hour for PlayStation VR and 2023’s Firewall Ultra for PlayStation VR2. There has been no word on whether either game will be pulled from the PlayStation Store or if their servers will be closing as well.
This wasn’t the only studio to close due to financial reasons in 2023. Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew developer Mimimi shut down after 15 years due to “increased financial pressure and level of risk.”
Firewall Zero Hour was well received, earning a 79 on Metacritic. Firewall Ultra received mixed reviews, earning a 61 on Metacritic.
