GreedFall, Steelrising Developer Spiders is Shutting Down

The Parisian development studio Spiders is officially closing its doors after nearly two decades in the industry, even as the team celebrates the launch of GreedFall: The Dying World. While the arrival of GreedFall: The Dying World marks a major achievement for the developers, the broader situation surrounding their parent company has created a very difficult environment for the staff. According to reports, the legal process to end the studio’s operations is expected to move forward this week.

Spiders first arrived on the scene back in 2008 and quickly made a name for itself by creating ambitious action-RPGs that punched well above their weight class. Titles like Mars War Logs and The Technomancer established the studio as a veteran of the European AA gaming space. Spiders’ most significant breakthrough came with the original GreedFall, which garnered a cult following for its unique setting and choice-driven narrative. In 2019, the group was acquired by Bigben Interactive, which later became Nacon, with the hope that the studio would become a flagship for their new publishing efforts. However, recent months have been defined by financial instability across the entire organization, leading to Nacon’s emergency insolvency filings for several of its major divisions.

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The End of an 18-Year Legacy for Spiders

According to a report from French outlet Origami, the situation reached a breaking point when Nacon failed to find a suitable buyer for the subsidiary before the mid-April deadline. Because no takeover bids were submitted, the court-appointed administrator is now requesting a full liquidation from the commercial court. This move is described by sources close to the matter as a “mere formality” at this point, effectively ending the studio. Statistics from France Stratégie indicate that roughly 67% of companies entering this type of legal receivership eventually are liquidated. French law typically requires the liquidator to issue layoff notices to staff within 15 days of the court’s final ruling, marking a swift end to the company’s operations.

The approximately 70 employees currently at the studio have reportedly spent the last few days preparing for life after Spiders. Instead of working on patches or new content, the staff is focused on updating their resumes and participating in self-study sessions. The Works Council is even coordinating an effort to let employees buy back their own office equipment as the studio winds down. On April 28, the team plans to gather for one final weekly drink, transforming the routine social event into a formal tribute to their 18 years of creativity. This somber milestone highlights the human cost of the corporate restructuring that has also dragged down other Nacon subsidiaries, such as KT Racing and Cyanide.

The closure has also brought to light serious concerns regarding the internal management of Spiders and its parent company, Nacon, over the last few years. The STJV union recently released a scathing statement, blaming “years of mismanagement and strategic nothingness” for the current disaster. According to the union, Nacon executives prioritized quick profits over a sustainable long-term strategy, which effectively sabotaged studios that were otherwise viable. There are also claims that the deterioration of working conditions and the cancellation of a project codenamed Dark added to the team’s stress. The union is calling for a complete overhaul of executive leadership, arguing that the focus on “snake oil solutions” like AI failed to address the actual needs of the developers or the modern gaming market.

Find all 10 pairs

Fans of the GreedFall series are left with a sequel that recently launched in a lackluster state on Steam, leaving its ultimate fate in doubt. As the liquidation process in Lesquin moves toward its final stages, the industry loses one of its most distinctive voices in the RPG genre.