Indie publisher Merge Games is shutting down after 15 years

by Danny Craig  ·  Updated 
Indie publisher Merge Games is shutting down after 15 years
Merge Games

Update:

Merge Games has now deleted its original announcement post on X and has stated that it is "integrated within Maximum Entertainment." This has been criticized by former staff, including its community manager, @SilverTomgue, who claims that 20 out of its 22 employees have been laid off.

Original article:

Merge Games, best known for publishing numerous physical and console releases of popular indie titles such as Dead Cells and Streets of Rage 4, has announced its closure after 15 years of operations.

The details:

  • The UK-based publisher confirmed the closure in a statement posted to X on Thursday. “After 15 years, Merge Games is closing down,” the studio wrote. “Starting from a tiny, cramped attic and growing to a tight, multi-disciplined 22-person team, we’ve brought hundreds of indie gems to storefronts around the world and loved every moment of it. We couldn’t have done it without people passionate about indie games, from all of our developers all the way to you folks, the players. If you see someone from Merge, just know that they’re an incredible person that worked their hardest. Thank you for the many years of gaming.”

  • Merge's existing catalog as well as its upcoming releases will now be handed over to its parent company, Maximum Entertainment, as previously confirmed earlier this month.

  • Merge is responsible for a number of physical and digital releases on PC and consoles, including Dead Cells, Darkest Dungeon, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. It has also co-developed some of its own titles, such as 2021's Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX.

  • The shutdown follows layoffs at the publisher after it was confirmed that it had closed its Chelford office in early September. Although the exact number of staff affected was not disclosed, Maximum CEO Christina Seelye stated that the move was part of a company-wide restructuring effort. "Within the context of previously announced reductions, we made the difficult but necessary decision to take further cost-cutting measures, and these unfortunately include staff redundancies," Seelye said in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz. "As a recently integrated company with a full and competitive roadmap ahead of us, we must finish the year and enter 2025 stronger and leaner to continue our best work."

More gaming news:

Latest News