OtherSide Entertainment Cancels Argos and Lays Off 17 Staff
*OtherSide Entertainment has laid off 17 staff members and canceled its upcoming multiplayer immersive sim, Argos: Riders on the Storm.* The layoffs are effective at the end of May, according to a studio statement provided to Game Developer.
The studio confirmed the project's cancellation and resulting staff reduction in a statement from a spokesperson. "The 17 staff were let go 'effective end of May' following the call to can Argos," the spokesperson told Game Developer.
In the statement, the studio expressed high regard for the impacted employees, adding, "To any studios out there hiring, we cannot recommend these impacted people highly enough." Details on Argos: Riders on the Storm remain scarce, as its description page has been removed from the studio's website.
Industry Challenges Force Cancellation of Multiplayer Sim
OtherSide Entertainment has cited the "brutally challenging" state of the games industry as the definitive reason for cancelling its multiplayer immersive sim, Argos: Riders on the Storm. In a statement to Game Developer, a studio spokesperson said the project "could have been a huge success in normal times," but continuing development was deemed "unviable for now."
The cancelled title was described as a new multiplayer Immersive Simulation "from the creative mind of Warren Spector." According to a since-removed blurb from the studio's website, the game was to let players "pick a playstyle" within an evolving world that was both "alien and oddly familiar."
No further concrete details about gameplay or mechanics were publicly revealed. The decision to cancel Argos and lay off 17 staff, effective at the end of May, underscores the significant financial and market pressures facing mid-sized studios attempting to develop ambitious, niche genres in the current climate.
Thick as Thieves Launch and Studio Leadership
The cancellation of Argos: Riders on the Storm coincides with the recent launch of OtherSide Entertainment's other project, Thick as Thieves, which underwent a significant shift in its design philosophy. The stealth-action game launched on May 20th, just as the layoffs related to Argos were taking effect.
According to the studio's statement, Thick as Thieves saw a "fairly last minute switch of focus from PvPvE to solo and co-op play" ahead of its release. This pivot highlights the studio's adaptive efforts to bring a title to market amidst broader development challenges.
The studio's creative direction is led by industry veterans with deep roots in the immersive sim genre. OtherSide Entertainment is helmed by Looking Glass Studios co-founders Paul Neurath and Warren Spector, whose foundational work includes genre-defining titles like Deus Ex and System Shock 2. Their pedigree has long positioned the studio as a torchbearer for the immersive sim genre, making the cancellation of a multiplayer project in that style a notable setback.
OtherSide's Development History and Future Outlook
OtherSide Entertainment's development history is marked by a high-profile stumble and a renewed focus on its core immersive sim legacy. The studio's 2018 release, Underworld Ascendant, was a crowdfunded spiritual successor to the Ultima Underworld series, a foundational title for the immersive sim genre. However, the game launched in a notoriously poor state, plagued by technical issues and design problems that resulted in overwhelmingly negative reviews.
The studio has since distanced itself from that project. Its official website, which once listed Underworld Ascendant alongside its other titles, now only features the recently launched Thick as Thieves. The page for the cancelled Argos: Riders on the Storm has also been removed, effectively scrubbing the two troubled projects from the studio's public-facing portfolio.
The studio's future now rests solely on the performance of Thick as Thieves and the reputation of its veteran leadership. With Argos cancelled and its team reduced, OtherSide's immediate outlook is tied to the commercial and critical reception of its stealth-based heist game. Founders Warren Spector and Paul Neurath, celebrated for their work on genre-defining titles like Deus Ex and System Shock 2, continue to helm the studio, betting that a return to a more focused, single-player/co-op experience will resonate in the current market.
