Heart Machine winds down Hyper Light Breaker development; layoffs confirmed
Heart Machine has announced it is winding down development on Hyper Light Breaker, the studio’s third-person roguelike follow-up to Hyper Light Drifter. The studio confirmed layoffs and said the Early Access title will not reach a full 1.0 release as originally planned.
What the studio said
“As we wrap up our work on Hyper Light Breaker, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to part with a number of talented team members. This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances, including shifts in funding, corporate consolidation and the uncertain environment many small studios like us are navigating today.”
Heart Machine added it plans to “deliver something meaningful and as polished and complete as we can given our current circumstances” in January, but that no further updates are planned for the remainder of 2025.
Context
- Hyper Light Breaker entered Early Access in early 2025 after several delays.
- The studio cited broader forces — funding shifts and corporate consolidation among them — as reasons for the decision.
- Heart Machine said it will continue making games with a consolidated workforce; its Devolver-published sci‑fi side‑scroller Possessor(s) is still due to launch soon.
Where to read more
- VideoGamesChronicle report
- PC Gamer coverage
- Eurogamer report
- Steam store page for Hyper Light Breaker
- Search Hyper Light Breaker on Amazon (affiliate)
Notes
This post omits links to certain news aggregator RSS sources; the above are direct coverage and official storefront links. If you have personal experience with Hyper Light Breaker in Early Access, share your thoughts below — will you return if the developer patches it in January, or do you feel the project’s conclusion is final?
Sources: Video Games Chronicle, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Steam