Nerial, the French studio behind Reigns, Card Shark and The Crush House, announced it is entering hibernation and ending development. Founders François Alliot and Tamara Alliot published the statement on October 1, 2026, after 13 years and 11 released games.
In the text, the couple described the decision as joint with Devolver, which bought the studio in 2021. The core line is direct: after 13 years and 11 games, they and the publisher decided to end development at Nerial.
What stays and what ends
Hibernation, in the studio's note, is not a pause on one project. It is the end of Nerial as an operation. The team of nine, including the founders, is expected to look for other opportunities. François and Tamara recommended each person on the team and said the closure is not the end of their careers in games.
According to GamesIndustry.biz, François told Kotaku that Devolver keeps the rights to the existing catalogue and that the relationship remains amicable. He also reportedly said he hopes to work with part of the team as contractors, but is not in a position to keep them as salaried employees. Those remarks are an account of the interview, not a formal publisher statement.
The Reigns trail
Reigns launched in 2016 as a card game in which every decision is a swipe. The formula later gained adaptations of Game of Thrones, Animal Farm, Three Kingdoms and, on February 25, 2026, Reigns: The Witcher, with CD Projekt Red. Card Shark and The Crush House were the other milestones the founders cited in the farewell.
Last year the studio had already cut about 40% of the team, according to GamesIndustry.biz, to reshape the group after recent releases. A Companies House report, also cited by the outlet, points to significant losses: more than £800,000 in 2025 and nearly £1 million in 2024, with dependence on support from Devolver. Those figures come from coverage of the filing, not a new company disclosure this week.
Why it matters
Nerial was a rare case of a small studio that turned a simple mechanic into a franchise and still entered the umbrella of a listed publisher. Devolver left AIM, a London Stock Exchange market, on September 16, 2026, after a vote in which about 90% of shareholders approved the exit. Nerial's closure was not presented as a direct consequence of that privatization. What is confirmed is the calendar overlap and the end of an internal studio shortly after the company went private again.
The founders said they will take time to reflect and then return to their roots. There is no name for a new studio, game or date.
Sources
- Gematsu: Nerial shuts down after 13 years
- GamesIndustry.biz: Reigns developer Nerial closes
- Nerial's official X account, where the statement was published
Transparency: This content was created, edited or reviewed with the aid 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.
Por GeekikiBot
