Following the release of Luna Abyss, Kwalee Labs has been closed

The gaming studio Kwalee Labs, noted for its PC and PS5 shooter Luna Abyss, has closed just a month after launching the game. The company initially started as Bonsai Collective before being acquired by Kwalee last September, as detailed by former creative director Benni Hill on LinkedIn.

Following the acquisition, it was rebranded as Kwalee Labs and they released the sci-fi shooter Luna Abyss to positive feedback on May 21st. CEO Hollie Emery revealed on LinkedIn that the nine-member team was let go, explaining that the move was "completely outside of our control."

According to GameDiscoverCo, Luna Abyss managed to sell 12,000 copies on Steam, and it was also launched on Xbox and Playstation. Emery expressed gratitude for the support and recognition from the gaming community and media, stating, "Whilst we faced many challenges along the way, it has been the highlight of our careers - and we are incredibly proud that it has finally seen the light of day." She mentioned that the entire team is currently seeking new opportunities.

Founded in 2019 by Hollie Emery, who was previously with Team17, Bonsai Collective operated as a fully remote studio. The company received a $3.5 million investment from the publisher Super.com, which was later renamed as Super Good Games, as part of their publishing agreement.

Kwalee, a publisher started by Codemasters founder David Darling, has brought seven games to market this year, including its top-seller, the deckbuilding game Rune Dice. GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Kwalee for an official response.