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Nacon Liquidates Spiders Studio, Halts Support, Releases DLC

4/30/2026

27 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Spiders Liquidated

Spiders, a Nacon subsidiary, announced on April 29, 2026 that it is being liquidated after Nacon failed to find a buyer.
The studio will cease operations immediately and stop game support.
Nacon will release the GreedFall: The Dying World DLC planned after the March 10, 2026 launch.
Administrators will file a liquidation request with the Lille Métropole Commercial Court and must issue layoff notices within 15 days of the ruling.

Summary

Spiders Shutdown

The shutdown of Spiders is cited as evidence of a tightening market for mid-budget studios in 2026.
Developers now confront climbing production costs, soaring marketing budgets, and reduced platform-holder fee shares.
France’s push to broaden gaming beyond Ubisoft suffers a blow as Spiders’ expertise since 2008 may vanish.
Former staff could join Arkane Lyon or Dontnod, or go indie, raising concerns that AA action-RPGs may disappear.

History

Historical Context

In November 2012 THQ disclosed it could not repay a $50 million loan and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December, prompting the auction of its mid-budget studios and large layoffs. The same market squeeze reappeared when Nacon liquidated French developer Spiders in April 2026, underscoring ongoing significant cost pressures for European AA studios.

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Spiders Liquidated

Spiders, a Nacon subsidiary, announced on April 29, 2026 that it is being liquidated after Nacon failed to find a buyer.
The studio will cease operations immediately and stop game support.
Nacon will release the GreedFall: The Dying World DLC planned after the March 10, 2026 launch.
Administrators will file a liquidation request with the Lille Métropole Commercial Court and must issue layoff notices within 15 days of the ruling.

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