Indie Studio Black Flag closes its doors due to a "communication breakdown" with its publisher

Studio Black Flag, known in the French indie game development scene, has declared bankruptcy and announced its closure.

In a recent update posted on Steam, the studio revealed that legal disputes with a publisher forced it to focus on smaller projects. However, over the last several months, their financial resources were depleted, prompting the studio's ordered closure under French regulations.

The studio explained that while it couldn't disclose details of its publishing agreement, it lacks ownership of the Orphan Age IP sufficient to seek new publishing avenues. The market for indie games is experiencing a significant downturn.

"We seem to be another victim of the current decline affecting the video game sector," stated the studio.

"Even if we regain publishing rights, finding a publisher willing to take on our project would involve an extensive and challenging process.

"Although development might continue with our current publisher, any decisions on that front are beyond our control for the time being."

Studio Black Flag mentioned that funds gained from crowdfunding were exhausted a long time ago, leaving them unable to refund backers. They express a desire to eventually share an unreleased version of Orphan Age with their community.

"Today marks a difficult end for Black Flag, occurring both gradually and harshly. It's uncertain if this is the conclusion for Orphan Age, as it may be handled by others, but my hope remains for its release," commented studio founder and game director, Adrien Forestier.

"I'm oscillating between shock and numbness, making it challenging to reflect on our current circumstances.

"It is distressing to wrap up our journey like this, knowing we are disappointing our supporters. However, I remain committed to ensuring that Orphan Age will not conclude with us."