Visions of Mana has just been released to critical acclaim and soon after release, the team behind the game, Ouka Studios, is reportedly on the verge of being shut down. According to a new report from Bloomberg, NetEase, the publisher of the game, might be closing up shop for the Japanese studio. The publisher has already cut back almost all the jobs in the studio in Tokyo, and the remaining handful paint a grim picture.
The source later gave more detail on the matter and confirmed that these staff cuts and layoffs had been going on since this spring “at least.” Both Tencent and NetEase, massive Chinese gaming giants, aren’t quite pleased with their investments in Japanese video game studios. The reason might be how years of investments have resulted in only a few successful games.
For now, Tencent and NetEase haven’t provided any official confirmation regarding Ouka Studios being shut down, but there are some statements from both publishers that shed light on the matter. Tencent says that it is still committed to gaming studios and businesses in the Japanese market, while NetEase said it had nothing to say regarding the Ouka Studios closure.
But a NetEase spokesperson did say that the company’s strategy is based on giving better experiences to players all over the world and that necessary adjustments are made according to how the market accepts its products.
Visions of Mana had a very exciting reveal by its studio over The Game Awards, and fans were looking forward to its release. The game came out only yesterday, on August 29, 2024, and almost all critics gushed over it. Visions of Mana is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, but is not available on Game Pass yet as announced in the past.
