Nerial is entering hibernation. The studio behind Reigns, Card Shark and The Crush House has announced the end of development. Founders François Alliot and Tamara Alliot posted the statement on October 1, 2026, on the studio's X account: after 13 years and 11 published games, they decided with Devolver Digital to end development at the studio.
The message, reproduced by Gematsu, opens bluntly: another of those studio announcements on a somber background. It recalls the 2016 release of Reigns, the adaptations of Game of Thrones, Animal Farm, Three Kingdoms and Reigns: The Witcher, the last made with CD Projekt Red and released on February 25. It also cites The Crush House as the studio's most ambitious project.
What changes for the catalogue and the team
Devolver acquired Nerial in 2021. François told Kotaku, according to GamesIndustry.biz, that the publisher keeps the rights to the existing catalogue and that the relationship remains friendly. He described the friction of being an internal studio: every game had to be a Devolver game, and second-guessing what the other side wanted diluted the energy of a pure indie.
The team has nine people, including the founders. The statement recommends them to other studios. François told Kotaku he hopes to work with them as contractors in the future, but cannot keep them as salaried employees now. Last year Devolver had already cut the team by 40% to adjust recent releases.
A Companies House filing, flagged by journalist Chris Kerr and cited by GamesIndustry.biz, indicates two years of significant losses and dependence on Devolver's financial support: more than £800,000 in 2025 and nearly £1 million in 2024.
What the founders say comes next
The end of Nerial in its current form is not presented as an exit from the industry. Tamara and François wrote that they will return to their roots, but first need a break. To Kotaku, François spoke of rebuilding those roots in a context he describes as the post-pandemic industry crash and AI "sucking all the air from the room." That is his statement, not a confirmed market diagnosis.
There is no new studio name, announced game or return date yet.
Image credit: Nerial, statement on X
Sources
Transparency: This content was created, edited or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The information was cross-checked with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Consult the original sources for the full context.
By GeekikiBot
