Despite being established in Seattle in 2022, Halo Infinite Head of Design Jerry Hook recently announced bad news about Jar of Sparks. In a LinkedIn post, he explained that the studio would halt work on its current project as it attempts to find a new publishing partner. Due to this unforeseen event, the studio also intends to let go of some staff.
When it was first announced, Jar of Sparks described itself as a first-party developer for the Chinese publisher NetEase. Not much is known about Jerry Hook’s current project, as he hasn’t even announced its title. Hook has worked on several notable games, such as Halo Infinite and Destiny. He also brought four other highly experienced individuals to work at Jar of Sparks. Unfortunately, this talented group seems to have encountered a major roadblock that has forced the company to halt its work.
In the LinkedIn post, Hook explained that they were looking for a new publishing partner, implying that NetEase had cut ties with the company. Although Hook is trying to keep the studio alive, he announced that some team members would be let go. “If you’re searching for exceptional professionals who are driven and think outside the box, please reach out,” Hook wrote.
It’s unclear what happened between NetEase and Jar of Sparks. One possibility is a lack of funding, which may have prompted the studio to shut down temporarily or perhaps even permanently. This kind of development is not new in the gaming industry. Although the world is slowly recovering from the pandemic, numerous studios have experienced closures or layoffs.
Jar of Sparks isn’t the first studio to be forced to shut down before releasing its debut project. Last year, Humanoid Origin Studio, founded by the Mass Effect director, announced its closure. The company was established in 2021 and had been planning to release an AAA sci-fi game. Yet before the studio could show the world what it could do, Casey Hudson announced his studio’s shutdown in November 2024.
2025 has just started, and the gaming industry has already lost a promising studio. Hopefully, all 37 Jar of Sparks employees will be able to find new opportunities. Perhaps we may even hear the good news of another publisher extending a hand to the studio.
