Ubisoft London, the studio formerly known as Future Games of London, is officially closing down.
The Hungry Shark maker confirmed the news this morning on LinkedIn. It was revealed back in September that the studio was under threat of closure, with all 54 positions at the developer under consultation. That process now appears to have finished and the studio will now be shuttered. Development of all Hungry Shark games will continue over at Ubisoft Barcelona.
During its 14 years in operation the studio took the idea for Hungry Shark from “an idea on a piece of tissue to the multi-platform franchise that it is today,” said the LinkedIn post.
“Ubisoft London is closing, but we are so proud of what we’ve all achieved and the wonderful community we have built along the way,” continued the statement. “The game’s future will now be in the capable hands of Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile and we look forward to seeing how they continue to manage and evolve it.”
Ian Harper, FGOL cofounder and MD, left the studio in April, as we reported previously. Fellow FGOL cofounder Chris Dawson also quit several years ago to set up King of Crabs maker Robot Squid, taking several key FGOL staff with him including CTO Tobias Barendt. Another gang of FGOL veterans also set up startup The Next Hype in September of last year, but the studio did not gather enough steam to release its debut title. It has since closed.
“We’re grateful for the community that has joined us every step of the way and made such a big impact on us,” the Ubisoft London statement continues. “We couldn’t have done it without you, and we’re proud of the work we have done together to support sustainable and clean oceans through partnering with charities and non-profits to bring awareness and understanding of the beautiful creatures who star in our game and are so important to the ocean ecosystem we strove to protect.”
“We’re also very proud of the team we built together,” the statement concludes. “Some have come and gone over the years, but every single one left their impact on the game. We wouldn’t be who we are without each one of them. Thank you to every single person who made each day an exciting and unique experience that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else, or with anyone else. We’re proud of all of you and thank you all so, so much.”
