Skip to main content

THQ shutters Homefront dev Kaos Studios, gives notice to Digital Warrington studio

Homefront-Multiplayer-Trailer_1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

THQ made a misstep earlier this year with Homefront, a first-person shooter bolstered by a huge, extended marketing push that, despite strong pre-order sales, failed to resonate with critical and consumer audiences. Largely because it’s just not very good. We’re now seeing the repercussions of the product’s failure to launch with the publisher revealing to Gamasutra that it has shuttered the game’s developer, Kaos Studios. No specific reason is offered beyond the move being part of a “strategic realignment,” but Homefront‘s poor performance almost certainly fueled the decision. The publisher also confirmed that employees of the UK-based developer Digital Warrington have been given a closure notice as well.

Kaos was born in 2006 when THQ brought in members of the Trauma Studios mod team (Battlefield 1942 mod Desert Combat) to form a new developer. The group’s first release was the multiplayer-centric Frontlines: Fuel of War in 2008; while the game contained some good ideas, the execution fell short and an online community failed to materialize. Homefront came next, this past March, riding on a wave of hype and expectations that it never managed to live up to. Digital Warrington, formerly Juice Games, is known for its work on the Juiced racing series, though more recent efforts include Red Faction: Battlegrounds and Warhammer 40K: Kill Team. The studio couldn’t be closed outright due to UK laws, Joystiq reports, but employees there have been put on notice.

Kaos being gone doesn’t mean that the Homefront franchise is finished. For one, THQ has invested a lot of time, money and energy into building that brand. What’s more, while the initial release may be lackluster, there’s always room for a new team to come in a deliver a dynamite sequel. Players will need some convincing, but typically, when a game is good and released at the right time the consumers are happy to open their wallets. THQ Montreal will now take the lead on the Homefront series moving forward. The company is also now hiring in its Montreal, Vancouver and Austin locations; departing employees from Kaos and Digital Warrington will be given the opportunity to interview for other internal positions.

Topics
Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
This HP gaming PC just had its price slashed from $830 to only $530
The HP Victus 15L gaming PC on a desk.

You don't have to spend thousands of dollars right away on gaming PC deals if all you need is a starter machine, as there are cheap but reliable options like the HP Victus 15L gaming desktop. From its original price of $830, it's down to a more affordable $530 following a $300 discount from HP. We're not sure how much time is remaining on this offer though, so if you want to take advantage of it, there's no time to waste -- stop hesitating and proceed with the transaction as soon as possible.

Why you should buy the HP Victus 15L gaming desktop
The HP Victus 15L won't match up to the best gaming PCs in terms of its performance, as it's only equipped with the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel Arc A380 Graphics, and 8GB of RAM. However, these specifications are enough to run the best PC games, though you'll have to sacrifice visual quality for some of the more demanding titles. That's not a bad trade-off for a gaming desktop this cheap, as you can also combine it with some of the more affordable choices from our roundup of monitor deals.

Read more
Naughty Dog devs suffer layoffs, reportedly impacting Last of Us multiplayer spinoff
Ellie looking concerned.

A new report revealed that Naughty Dog has ended several contracts it had with developers early, laying off around 25 developers. This had a negative impact on The Last of Us multiplayer game but, more importantly, is chillingly just the latest batch of layoffs in a rough couple of months for the video game industry.
These contracted developers were informed that their contracts were ending prematurely at the end of October and that they'd get no severance afterward, according to the report at Kotaku. Reportedly, most of these layoffs at Naughty Dog, PlayStation's darling studio that employs over 400 developers, come from the quality assurance, art, and production teams. According to Kotaku, Naughty Dog asked its developers to keep quiet about it. That didn't happen, though, with developers telling Kotaku not only about the layoffs but that the multiplayer The Last of Us game "while not completely canceled, is basically on ice at this point."
Concept art for Naughty Dog's Last of Us multiplayer title. Naughty Dog
These layoffs are unfortunate but sadly not uncommon for the game industry. Throughout the last few weeks, studios like Ubisoft, Creative Assembly, Ascendant Studios, and Epic Games have all laid off people. Epic, in particular, cut a whopping 16% of its workforce despite the fact that Fortnite is one of the most popular video games. Then, there are studios like Saints Row's Volition, support studio Puny Human, and Boomerang X's Dang are closing entirely.
Although 2023 has been a year full of fantastic games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Street Fighter 6, and Baldur's Gate 3, it's unfortunate that it has been so rough for the developers who actually make the games in this gigantic industry. It's clear something needs to change.

Read more
Every video game delay that has happened in 2023 so far
David Harbour and Jodie Comer in Alone in the Dark.

Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. Three-fourths of the way through the year, we've already seen some notable AAA games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, Pragmata, Alan Wake 2, and Alone in the Dark shift their release dates. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.
That's why, just as we did in 2021 and 2022, Digital Trends is rounding up every game delay that's announced throughout 2023. Here are the high-profile ones that have happened so far, listed chronologically by their new intended release dates.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (March 16)

As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is one of the best games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games' PlayStation VR2 successor, is a highly anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it will no longer make PlayStation VR2's February 22 launch and will instead be released on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will ensure that players "receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible" at release. The game was released on that date to mixed reviews.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (March 24)

Read more