PocketGamer reports developer Kukouri Mobile Entertainment is leaving game development.
In a statement, CEO Petri Piipari revealed the studio has gradually moved away from game development “for a few years now.” It’s already sold its two game IPs, Pixel Worlds and Tiny Troopers, to Social First. The studio itself still exists, but will pivot to another industry.
Piipari revealed its struggles with the two, now delisted properties: Pixel Worlds has failed to be “commercially viable” in recent months, and Troopers is licensed to a separate developer and publisher. As such, Kukouri made the “difficult decision to close down all game operations.”
At time of writing, no layoffs have been reported, and Kukouri’s next moves are unknown. Its now defunct developer website reads: “Thanks for all the years.”
Who is Social First?
Social First, the new steward of Kukouri’s former properties, is made up of former staffers from the Finnish studio. Its own game, the Early Access title Nexus Station, has been billed by PocketGamer as a successor to Pixel Worlds. Founder/CEO Kim Soares told the outlet the decision to acquire Pixel and Tiny Troopers’ rights “was an easy one. […] Many of the Social First team have been working at Kukouri on either or both of these IPs earlier in their career, including myself. We wanted to secure the IPs from Kukouri, as they are legacies of many of our team members.”
Developers spinning up their own studios to carry on the spirit of their former employer is nothing new, but not all of them wind up acquiring the properties they once worked on. For the moment, Soares hasn’t disclosed anything about what’s in store for either property. However, he did say these acquisitions won’t change Social First’s Nexus focus “in any way.”
“Pixel Worlds had one of the best online communities I have ever seen in my career of 25 years in game development, [and] we really hope to see that community come together again in Nexus Station.”