Hyper Light Drifter dev is ending development on its open-world roguelike sequel and going through layoffs: "This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available"

Heart Machine - the indie outfit behind acclaimed retro adventure Hyper Light Drifter and the gravity-bending Solar Ash - is going through layoffs and wrapping up development on its roguelike sequel, Hyper Light Breaker.

A Heart Machine spokesperson confirmed the news in a statement given to gamedeveloper: "As we wrap up our work on Hyper Light Breaker, we've had to make the difficult decision to part ways with a number of talented team members. This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances."

For context, Hyper Light Breaker launched into Steam Early Access earlier this year but failed to reach the critical highs of the developer's previous work, currently sitting with a 'Mixed' rating based on over 2,500 player reviews.

So, it's unclear what Heart Machine means when it says it'll "wrap up" development on Hyper Light Breaker - will it hit 1.0 sooner than expected, or will it remain in this sort of limbo state indefinitely?

"While this path will include a conclusion on the project, it reflects broader forces beyond our control, including shifts in funding, corporate consolidation, and the uncertain environment many small studios like us are navigating today," the statement explained.

There's currently no word on how many employees will be affected by the redundancies, though it'll be the studio's second round of layoffs in less than a year. Here's hoping everyone affected can land on their feet soon.

Hyper Light Breaker devs were "caught off guard a bit by how oppressive the difficulty was for players," even if some people are "very upset that we’ve made it easier"