Summary
- Even after a studio's closure, video game experiences created with dedication can outlive them.
- Contributing studios, like Vanpool Inc., dissolved, despite development success and critical acclaim.
- Irrespective of studio demise, games like Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe leave lasting impressions.
Although the quality of a game's release is often an indicator of a developing studio's longevity, there have often been instances where talented studios have gone under. However, while the studio's name and staff may often be thrown into the wind, the video game experiences that result from their dedication often outlive them in the hearts of players.
From critically lauded culminations of industry-defining trilogies to genre-bending entries of first-party franchises, many great developers have lost their financial security, despite continued critical success. However, many of them made a mark with their final titles.
10 Kirby's Return To Dreamland Deluxe (Vanpool Incorporated)
A Collaborative Remaster
Kirby's Return To Dreamland Deluxe
- Released
- February 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- HAL Laboratory
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
In collaboration with HAL Laboratory, Vanpool Incorporated's swan song Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe is not only a spiffy new way for younger audiences to experience one of Nintendo's most revered platforming experiences. It's also a bolstered version of the Nintendo Wii classic. With new modes, sub-games, and high-fidelity visuals, 2023's Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe is a fitting reemergence of the 2011 soft reboot of the Kirby series.
After collaborating with some of the largest publishers in the video game space for more than 25 years, Japanese developer Vanpool Incorporated was dissolved in May 2023. The only explanation was a nondescript statement regarding the 'various circumstances' that led to the studio's shutdown. Vanpool's history of original property creation and assistance with some of Nintendo's most revered first-party experiences is a quality legacy.
9 The Walking Dead: The Final Season (Telltale Games)
The Creative Culmination Of An Industry-Defining Genre Twist
The Walking Dead: The Final Season
- Released
- August 14, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Telltale Games, Skybound Games
- Genre(s)
- Graphic Adventure, Horror
Telltale Games' catalog of IP-driven video games has seen its share of critical ups and downs. However, many of its revolutionary creative decisions are still affecting the video game landscape to this day. Although additional members of staff from third-party studios had to be brought in to complete, The Walking Dead: The Final Season, many of the studio's experimental decisions made this season one of the best.
Despite a portfolio of video games spanning multiple properties and franchises, Telltale Games was dissolved in 2018 amid a wave of layoffs and corporate restructuring. The skeleton of Telltale Games exists in LCG Entertainment. However, with much of its creative muscle and industry spark removed, only time will tell if its unique brand of interactive storytelling can continue.
8 Ultima Online (Origin Systems)
A Genre-Defining MMORPG Swansong
Ultima Online
- Released
- September 24, 1997
- ESRB
- m
WHERE TO PLAY
The Best-selling role-playing series of all time has revolutionized online Gaming again with Ultima Online: The Second Age.
Interact with thousands of players simultaneously in this breakthrough internet fantasy world. Get online and immerse yourself in the adventure of a lifetime...
Thousands Of Players
Potentially thousands of players online day and night from around the world, each character as individual as the person who created it. A vibrant player community, hundreds of websites, hundreds of guilds to join. Are you with us?
A Persistent World
Your actions have a real, lasting impact on this fully simulated world. Regular and ongoing automatic updates to the game ensure that it remains fresh and exciting.
Endless Possibilities
Ultima Online offers an unprecedented degree of freedom for you to seek out your own destiny. Craft weapons, tame wild animals, build a house, run a shop, quest for treasure, delve into dungeons - true role-playing where your only limitation is your imagination.
The Second Age
Ultima Online truly enters a new age, with over a year of gameplay refining, expanded chat features, new on-the-fly language translation provided by SYSTRAN® Software, new creatures, towns and terrain, and an interactive tutorial.
- Developer(s)
- Origin Systems
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
Despite being overshadowed by games like World of Warcraft, Ultima Online's 1997 release remains a landmark launch within the larger video game industry. Originally developed by Origin Systems and boasting an overwhelming sense of player-led freedom, it remains one of the greatest PVP MMO games of all time.
Despite Origin Systems remaining a cornerstone of Electronic Arts' acquired portfolio since 1992, EA disbanded the Texas-based studio in February 2004. However, this did not mark the end of EA's support of its online fantasy IP. With multiple expansions, a proposed soft reboot, and a pivot towards the free-to-play model, Electronic Arts has remained keen to capitalize on Ultima Online's success after the dissolution of its original creator.
7 Split/Second (Black Rock Studio)
An Explosive Take On Street-Based Racing
Split/Second
- Released
- May 18, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Violence
- Developer(s)
- Black Rock Studio
- Genre(s)
- Racing
With a portfolio of highly-praised racing titles, Black Rock Studio's legacy as a powerhouse racing developer still stands even 15 years after its final title was released. Presenting the world of Velocity in such a high-octane, arcade-esque way, Black Rock Studios' 2010 racing title enticed players who had a passing interest in racing games to try its pseudo-patented style of explosive racing systems.
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It was a fittingly explosive swansong for the Disney Interactive Studios-owned developer. Split/Second's concentration on dynamically destructive racing environments and a tangible sense of speed provided the video game industry with one of the most consistently revered and remembered racing titles of the seventh console generation.
6 The Saboteur (Pandemic Studios)
A Unique Take On WW2
The Saboteur
- Released
- December 8, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Pandemic Studios
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
In contrast with the typical theatrics of World War II shooters of the early millennium, The Saboteur's 2009 release brought a refreshing change of pace. The game provides players with a Grand Theft Auto-esque open-world WW2-era Paris to navigate, and an artistically engaging representation of the city. Pandemic Studio's final game remains one of the most engaging WW2 games years after its release.
Pandemic Studios' acclaim has long outlived its physical premises, from multiple projects in the Star Wars universe to unique experiences such as Destroy All Humans!. The Saboteur retains the studio's charm and experimentation. Despite the developer's closure in 2009 by parent company Electronic Arts, the studio's name, former employees, and revered properties have remained at the forefront of many players' minds since.
5 L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
The Hard-Boiled Detective Story Remains Solid Despite Studio Toxicity
L.A. Noire
- Released
- May 17, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Regardless of the internal machinations of Team Bondi's mismanaged development style, the Sydney-based developer's legacy remains solidified in the critical and commercial success of its open-world title L.A. Noire. Implementing medium-defining motion-capture technology, L.A. Noire arguably pushed the boat out for the technological techniques utilized in games like Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and Death Stranding.
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Team Bondi also incorporated meticulous use of maps, photography, and film footage to recreate its 1947-inspired Los Angeles locale. L.A Noire remains one of the most faithful post-war video game experiences of the seventh console generation, despite the studio's 2011 closure.
4 Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War (Monolith Productions)
An Industry-Defining Culmination Of Patented Systems
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
- Released
- October 10, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Though it's been almost ten years since Middle-Earth: Shadow of War' s 2017 release, the patented mechanics of the Nemesis system remain one of Monolith Productions' most revered contributions to the video game industry. The expansive sequel to 2014's Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Monolith Productions' concentration on creating a tightly wound yet fully explored Lord of the Rings world. This culminates in not only one of the best tie-in titles of all time, but one of the defining experiences on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War was a success, and Monolith Productions continued the application of Electronic Arts' patented version of its Nemesis system in a now-canceled Wonder Woman tie-in video game. However, the Washington-based studio was shuttered by parent company Warner Bros. Games in early 2025.
3 Halo Wars (Ensemble Studios)
A Genre-Twisting Take On Xbox's Flagship IP
Halo Wars
- Released
- March 3, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Mild Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ensemble Studios, Robot Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy, Tactical
Every strategy gamer in the 1990s and early 2000s had heard of Ensemble Studios' Age of Empires franchise. Yet, its swansong title remains one of the best console RTS experiences of all time. Despite the genre's propensity for PC-based titles, Halo Wars remains not only one of the best spin-off video games of all time, but a reminder of the flexibility of game genres in the hands of experienced developers.
Unfortunately, Ensemble Studios' parent company, Microsoft, efficiently dissolved the Texas-based studio in 2009. The Xbox platform creator's "fiscally-rooted decision" saw Ensemble Studios' near 15-year legacy of strategy video game-making come to an end, as Halo Wars' development wrapped up.
2 Bioshock Infinite (Irrational Games)
An Accolade-Laden FPS
BioShock Infinite
- Released
- March 26, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Irrational Games
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Coinciding with the Bioshock series' political dissection and brutal use of lethal force, the franchise's dark moral dilemmas remain among the property's defining features. As such, Irrational Games' ambiguous closure after the departure of much of its key talent to form Ghost Story Games is ironically fitting.
After Irrational Games completed this Game of the Year-nominated first-person shooter, the studio's closure was handled with a frustratingly novel level of grace and professionalism. Many of its remaining employees were adjusted into similar roles elsewhere by publisher Take-Two Games. However, the commercial and critical acclaim of Bioshock Infinite left behind a legacy. Irrational Games' final title remains a solid experience for players to look back on fondly.
1 Thief 2: The Metal Age (Looking Glass Studios)
An Industry-Defining Immersive Sim Sequel
Thief 2: The Metal Age
- Released
- March 21, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Action, Simulation, Stealth
Thief 2: The Metal Age and its 1998 predecessor provided a dynamic template on creating an engaging immersive sim. Even 25 years after its initial launch, Looking Glass Studios' final video game experience before its May 2000 closure remains a genre-defining title.
Although Looking Glass Studios' time in the video game industry ended at the start of the new millennium, the developer's legacy has been sustained. Franchises such as Dishonored, Deus Ex, and The Elder Scrolls pay clear tribute to the studio's works. While the Thief property has gone on to provide players with multiple new stealth-focused immersive sim experiences in the many years since Looking Glass Studios' closure, the series has arguably never reached the same heights as Thief 2: The Metal Age.
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