Saudi publisher Sandsoft ‘ceased operations’ due to ‘unexpected turbulence’, says the firm’s former publishing VP.
Multiple sources told us last month that Sandsoft was suddenly wound up when the Saudi family funding the outfit simply decided to ‘pull the plug’. No spokesperson responded to repeated request for comment, and we were told staff were asked to be careful talking about why they had left the company publicly.
Sandsoft’s former publishing VP Miikka Lindgren appeared to confirm our reporting in a couple of posts on LinkedIn this week. “Unexpectedly, we hit turbulence,” he posted earlier this week. “Despite all the progress, circumstances beyond our control forced the company to make an emergency landing and cease operations.”
Lindgren also claimed that “multiple third-party games were signed for 2025 launches” and that “revenue was growing consistently…we were on track to reach 8-figure annual revenue by the end of 2025.”
In a later post Lindgren namechecked the business development team, game leads and other teams that worked at the firm. “The Sandsoft story may have ended sooner than we hoped, but the talent, spirit, and vision remain. I’m proud of what we built together and excited to see where each of you goes next.”
As we reported previously, Sandsoft had big ambitions to be the MENA region’s top game publisher, one reminiscent of Tencent, Netease, Take-Two or Activision. But earlier this year we revealed that Sandsoft had closed its Riyadh and Barcelona game development studios, resulting in 21 layoffs. The intention was to focus purely on publishing, the firm told us. But by October the company had effectively closed.
