Meta has closed the long-running studio Ready At Dawn, effective immediately. The studio joins the ranks of Arkane Austin, Riot Forge, Volition, Game Informer, and others as the industry reins in spending after a post-pandemic slump in sales. As a leader in virtual reality game development and creator of some of the platform’s best-selling titles, Ready at Dawn’s closure is a painful turn for fans and industry colleagues alike. It also heralds a more conservative approach by Meta to its metaverse and XR tech development.
Ready At Dawn’s Lengthy Tenure
Founded in 2003 by ex-Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment employees, the studio became known for its PSP God of War titles, and the PS4 exclusive The Order: 1886. That title featured stunning graphics and a rich atmospheric design, but its gameplay was criticized as being formulaic and constrained. The studio found greater success with its 2017 VR title Lone Echo, and the zero-gravity arena combat spinoff, Echo Arena. Praised for leading the development of VR-first titles that took full advantage of their immersive nature, Ready At Dawn represented to many the early potential of VR as the new frontier of gaming.
Acquired by Meta in 2021, the studio went on to produce what would be their last title, the well-received sequel Lone Echo II. While it had not released any other titles since then, it was reportedly working on its next project.
Part of a Pattern
The studio had already suffered significant layoffs in the spring of 2023 as Meta discontinued Echo VR, released a third of their staff, and trimmed thousands of jobs across its other divisions. After losing around $50 Billion since 2020, Meta’s XR unit, Reality Labs, found its budget on the chopping block earlier this year, with an announced 20 percent budget reduction. The closure of Ready At Dawn was a direct result of this lowered budget ceiling, though Meta has signaled that it remains committed to VR development.
Reactions to the closure on social media were emotional, as layoffs and studio dissolutions continue to plague the games industry. One of Ready At Dawn’s founders, Andrea Pessino, said on Instagram, “To the hundreds that came along our journey the last 21 years, all I can say is thank you.” Design Director Robert Duncan added “As many have already heard, this morning Ready At Dawn Studios is closing its doors. I’ve been at RAD for over 10 years and I am incredibly sad to see this wonderful team I’ve grown to love be broken apart this way…”.
Ready At Dawn’s former staff has purportedly been given severance pay and are being encouraged to apply for jobs within Oculus Studios. For a deeper dive into the studio’s history, you can check out Ben Hanson’s 2014 documentary, produced in conjunction with the now-defunct Game Informer.
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