Galvanic Games, the developer behind Wizard With a Gun, has announced that they are shutting down.

The president and founder of the Seattle-based studio, Patrick Morgan, expressed his sadness in a statement shared on the studio’s social media channels. He mentioned the irony of spending years building their dream team, only for it to disband after their most successful year.

“Despite the initial promise of Wizard With a Gun, the sales have not been sufficient to sustain our studio,” Morgan revealed in a post on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.

“Collaborating with Devolver Digital was a fantastic experience for us. Together, we developed a game that I am extremely proud of. It’s bittersweet to realize that we achieved everything we set out to do when we established Galvanic in 2015. From releasing unique and quirky games to working with some of the industry’s best talents while fostering a close-knit, productive team focused on a positive and creative environment.”

“However, it is heart-wrenching to see our team face the uncertainties of the current market. The commitment, innovation, and hard work of each team member have been truly remarkable,” Morgan added.

Morgan concluded by expressing gratitude to the team and players for their support and memories. He also shared a list of LinkedIn profiles and portfolios of the developers affected by the closure.

In response, Devolver Digital simply stated: “Love you all”.

The exact number of jobs affected by the closure is currently unknown.

The shutdown of Galvanic is just one of many studio closures and lay-offs, highlighting a challenging time for the gaming industry and its workforce. By the end of May 2024, over 10,000 individuals had lost their jobs within the video game sector this year.

Ed’s previous article in late May reported 10,000 job losses in the gaming industry. In just 15 days since that report, the number has risen to 10,800. To put it in perspective, 10,500 job losses were recorded in the entire year of 2023, indicating a higher impact on game developers in 2024 in less than half the time.

In June alone, Avalanche, the developer of Just Cause, closed two of its five offices, and League of Geeks, known for titles like Armello and Jumplight Odyssey, announced a “hibernation period indefinitely” after reducing its workforce by 50% late last year.

“The wave of layoffs may slow down as major companies have made their decisions, and there is hope that they won’t need to downsize further (according to some analysts speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, companies may even need to rehire in a few years). However, the challenges are not over,” wrote Chris Dring of GamesIndustry.biz for Eurogamer regarding the state of layoffs in the gaming industry.