Jar of Sparks pauses development on its first game while searching for a new publisher

The Seattle-based developer, Jar of Sparks, has halted progress on their debut project while they seek a new publishing partner.

Jar of Sparks' founder and CEO, Jerry Hook, mentioned in a LinkedIn post that team members would be "exploring new opportunities" while the studio searches for a publisher "capable of bringing their innovative ideas to fruition."

"During this process, our enthusiastic and inventive team embraced challenges and aimed to offer something genuinely fresh and thrilling to the industry," Hook stated.

"As we embark on this new chapter, our skilled team members will look for new prospects."

The number of staff impacted by this decision remains unknown.

In another LinkedIn update, Hook assured that the studio will be "actively assisting every team member in finding new positions over the coming weeks" as the current project wraps up.

Established in 2022 as a NetEase studio, Jar of Sparks is led by Hook alongside creative director Paul Crocker, executive producer Greg Stone, and gameplay director Steve Dyck.

Before this, Hook had a role as head of design at 343 Industries for Halo Infinite, was a business director at Bungie for Destiny, and held various positions over 11 years at Microsoft.