Square Enix Montreal Shuts Down Hitman And Deus Ex Games
Games under the banner of the now-shuttered Studio Onoma now officially are set to shut down. It's the end of an era.
23rd Nov 2022 13:58
Images: Studio Onoma
Square Enix Montreal Shuts Down Hitman And Deus Ex Games
Games under the banner of the now-shuttered Studio Onoma now officially are set to shut down. It's the end of an era.
23rd Nov 2022 13:58
Images: Studio Onoma
It was revealed not too long ago that, sadly, Studio Onoma would be shutting down.
The game team, previously known as Square Enix Montreal, was renamed before being promptly shuttered by parent company Embracer in a pretty sad loss to the gaming community, and yet, being just another in a long list of gaming studios that simply can't afford to operate right now.
It's a bleak indicator of where the gaming industry is right now that beloved studios can be axed entirely for sake of cost control, but more and more suffer as time goes on, as the finances of the industry seem to spiral out of control.
And now, after the studio itself has suffered, its games will too.
Hitman And Deus Ex Games Are Shutting Down In January
As a result of the closure of Studio Onoma, a collection of games that the studio had been keeping up will finally come to a close, though much too early.
As revealed by the studio on Twitter, their games Arena Battle Champions, Deus Ex GO, Hitman Sniper: The Shadows and Space Invaders: Hidden Heroes will all be shutting down entirely on January 4, with the games being removed from the App Store and Google Play Store on December 1, with in-game purchases ceasing effective immediately.
It was to be expected after the game studio's closure, but it's still sad to see that the games are on their way out as a marker of the final nail in Onoma's coffin.
What Happened To Studio Onoma?
This closure is especially bleak when considering the whopping acquisitions that Embracer Group has been making recently.
The company recently bagged the rights for The Lord of the Rings, and you don't need us to tell you that that's pretty massive - but the company, after buying Square Enix Montreal only months before, promptly renamed them to Studio Onoma (presumably to dampen the headlines of shutting down a corner of Square Enix) and closing them up.
It's such a shame to see talented developers be sent packing, and indicative of Embracer Group's profits-first attitude. Rest in peace, Square Enix Montreal - we barely knew ye.
About The Author
Joseph Kime
Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.
