VR game studio First Contact Entertainment has announced that it will be shutting down by the end of the year. The company, known for its PSVR games Firewall Zero Hour and Firewall Ultra, cited the “lack of support for VR within the industry” as a significant factor in its decision.
In a statement shared on Facebook just before Christmas, the studio expressed its sadness at the news, acknowledging the amazing team it had worked with for almost 8 years. The statement also highlighted the challenges of being a AAA VR game developer and the inability to justify the expenses needed to continue.
First Contact Entertainment, known for its innovative approach to pushing new technologies to their limits, thanked its supporters and expressed gratitude for the wild ride it has been. The closure of the studio comes as a blow to the VR gaming community, given its success with titles like Firewall Zero Hour and its sequel, Firewall Ultra.
The announcement of First Contact’s closure coincides with the news of several other studio closures and layoffs in the gaming industry over the past year. Despite the setbacks, the studio’s legacy in the VR gaming space will be remembered, with titles like Solaris Offworld Combat receiving positive reviews for its fun and engaging gameplay.