Lightforge Games Suffers Significant Layoffs, D&D Inspired Project ORCS Development Paused

PC Games, PlayerAuctions Blog

In a tough decision, Lightforge Games halts development of Project O.R.C.S.

Lightforge Games has made the difficult choice to indefinitely pause work on their highly anticipated RPG, Project O.R.C.S. Due to a lack of funding from publishers, the team has been downsized to a skeleton crew as they assess their next steps.

In an announcement on their website and social media channels, Lightforge explained that without the necessary financial support, they were unable to continue development on Project O.R.C.S. To prevent prolonged hardship, the decision was made to halt production immediately.

“We’re making this call now so that we can provide support to our wonderful team of devs: providing them with time to stabilize, working together to help folks as they re-enter the job market, and finding new positions to continue our passion for making games,” stated Lightforge in their release.

As the team transitions, they will be closing their Discord and social channels in the coming days. The remaining staff will then focus on determining the best path forward for both the project and the studio as a whole.

Lightforge Games, founded in 2020 as a fully remote studio, comprised former developers from Blizzard and Epic (known for Fortnite). With a team of between 11 and 50 members, their mission was to revolutionize RPG gameplay.

Project O.R.C.S., unveiled just three months ago in February, aimed to blend the creativity of tabletop role-playing games with the interactive nature of co-op gameplay. Players had the ability to craft their own fantasy world using an in-game editor and embark on quests within it. Unfortunately, with the project on hold, the future of Project O.R.C.S. remains uncertain.

Lightforge Games is not the only small studio facing financial challenges in the gaming industry. Keoken Interactive, creator of Deliver Us Mars, recently had to lay off a significant portion of their workforce for similar reasons. The industry as a whole has experienced turmoil, with major closures and significant layoffs occurring in recent months.