Bandai Namco Entertainment confirmed its plans to liquidate and dissolve Reflector Entertainment, a Montreal-based subsidiary that developed the action game Unknown 9: Awakening. Bandai Namco stated that the move was made to ensure long-term growth within its business portfolio.
Four years after it was founded, Reflector Entertainment was acquired by Bandai Namco in September 2020. Despite being based in Canada, Reflector became a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Europe. The only game produced by Reflector in its time with Bandai Namco was Unknown 9: Awakening, an action-adventure title released in October 2024 on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox. The premise of Unknown 9: Awakening saw players assume the role of Haroona, a woman with the power to explore a mysterious dimension called The Fold. In pursuit of knowledge, Haroona must also fight back against a faction bent on controlling history.
Bandai Namco is Closing Reflector Entertainment
Although Unknown 9: Awakening showed off some potential in its action-focused gameplay, which was compared to games like Square Enix’s Forspoken, Reflector’s project received a mixed response on Steam, with only 55% positive reviews. Bandai Namco revealed that it will liquidate and dissolve Reflector Entertainment, as decreed via a resolution passed down by its board of directors. Bandai Namco stated that the decision was made after considering future business plans and how its corporate value could be enhanced in the long run. The company said it would work in compliance with local laws and regulations throughout the process. Reflector released a statement on LinkedIn shortly after Bandai Namco’s decision was handed down. The studio stated it would cease all activities effective immediately.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
According to Bandai Namco’s statement on Reflector, the studio had over 46 million Canadian dollars in share capital and only made CA$14 million in net sales as of March 31, 2026. Although Reflector was also supposed to work on other IPs within Bandai Namco’s repertoire in some capacity, the studio’s plans never came to pass. Additionally, following the lukewarm response to Unknown 9: Awakening from buyers, Bandai Namco and Reflector subsequently canceled all plans to expand it into a multimedia franchise. At the time, Reflector CEO Herve Hoerdt said that Reflector would see some jobs become redundant due to the financial failure of Unknown 9: Awakening. At the time of Reflector’s closure announcement, the Montreal developer’s estimated employee count was between 51 and 200.
The studio said it would work with stakeholders and ensure the developers work through the transition. Reflector added that, between future development requirements and the current conditions of the gaming industry, Bandai Namco could not justify further investment in the studio. Given that the gaming industry has been plagued by layoffs throughout the decade, time will tell what the fate of Reflector’s current staff will be. Bandai Namco did not offer a timetable for how long the liquidation process would take.
However, Bandai Namco Europe will not walk away unscathed from the imminent closure of Reflector Entertainment. The company revealed that, pending review, it is expected to post a net loss of approximately €21 million (3.5 billion yen) in its upcoming Q3 2027 financial statement.
- Released
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2024
- ESRB
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m
- Developer(s)
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Reflector Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
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Reflector Entertainment
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
