EA quietly closed Harry Potter studio Bright Light late last year

Despite any poor reviews we may give a game, it’s always sad to see the studio that makes it close, if for no other reason than for all the people left unemployed in the wake of the closure. It’s even worse when it happens during the holidays, like it did late last year with THQ closing its uDraw studio. It turns out that around the same time EA was quietly ending a studio of its own at the same time, as news has come out on the closure of EA Bright Light.

Not a particularly famous studio, Bright Light has a lineage dating back to the EA UK studio of the mid-90s, and was formed with the intention of creating exciting new IPs for the publisher. While the team put out a couple good DS games that failed to reach any real popularity, they eventually became something of a mercenary studio, working on ports for Need for Speed and The Sims, eventually leading them to develop the last few Harry Potter games. Those titles weren’t particularly well-received, and after the final unfortunate Potter game this summer, it seems the studio was basically finished.

Electronic Arts has said that some employees will be joining fellow EA studios Criterion and Playfish. Our hearts go out to all touched by this, and we wish them the best of luck in their futures.

Source: Develop