Companies to call it quits by “mutual agreement”

ShadowrunandBattletechstudio Harebrained Schemes are “parting ways” with Paradox Interactive - or what’s left of Harebrained are, at least. Paradox have announced that they’re cutting the developer loose to pursue publishing opportunities elsewhere, following dismal sales of the studio’s latest release, swaggering 1930s-set Indiana XCOMalikeThe Lamplighters League. Paradox will keep ownership of The Lamplighters League and other games developed by Harebrained, though theCrusader Kingspublisher have no plans for a project or sequel in the same genre.

We were rather looking forward to The Lamplighters League for a time. Previewing the squad-based period battler in March, Katharinedescribed itas a thrilling blend that “pilfers from the fineststrategygames around”. Sin found the final version to be a muddle, however: in ourThe Lamplighters League review, she summarised the game as “a strong turn-based foundation and colourful setting held back by grind, blind chance, and a need for efficiency over tactical variety”. And players were similarly mixed: Paradoxwrote off the project as a $23 million flopa mere week after launch. I haven’t yet had time to try it, myself, but I did enjoy Harebrained’s old Shadowrun games and had a lot of fun failing to keep my robots cool in Battletech.

Paradox appear to have scented defeat early on - the companylaid off a “significant” proportion of Harebrained’s staff this summer, as the game entered its final phase of development, making the whole thing feel rather like a fait accompli, though this may have just been the sadly routine business of scaling down as projects near completion.

“Paradox has refocused its strategy towards its core niches within strategy and management games with endless qualities,” Paradox chief operational officer Charlotta Nilsson said in the same release. “We and HBS' leadership have been discussing what would happen after the release of The Lamplighters League, but a new project or sequel in the same genre was not in line with our portfolio plans.

“Hence, we believe that a separation would be the best way forward,” Nilsson went on. “We’re very happy that this talented, gifted studio has the chance to continue and can’t wait to see what they will make next.”

According toone rumour from a self-described anonymous staffer, Harebrained Schemes pitched a new Battletech game to Paradox before the decision to cut ties. Here’s hoping the remnants of the studio find success elsewhere.