Mimimi Games, the studio responsible for the Desperados 3 and Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun reboot, is closing its doors after 15 years in the business. In a statement posted on Twitter, co-founders Dominik Abé and Johannes Roth cite burnout from working on increasingly ambitious projects as the reason for the closure. It’s a worrying development, but Mimimi plans to continue supporting Shadow Gambit, and it has provided assurances that it plans to support its employees throughout a transition.
Studio closing after 15 years
“It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that Mimimi Games will be closing its doors after 15 years of successfully developing and publishing high-quality games,” Abé writes. “We will gradually wind down over the next few months, during which time we will continue to support our current projects and seek opportunities for our employees. We will also provide a transition bonus for everyone.”
It’s never great to see a studio with a consistent track record of great games come to an end, but it’s easy to empathise with the decision to prioritize well-being over overextended development cycles. I reviewed Desperados 3 and, while I haven’t had the chance to play Shadow Tactics yet, it has a similar reputation for high quality.
Mimimi plans to continue supporting Shadow Gambit with a patch and additional content, and it aims to fulfil its duties to its team, fans, and business partners in the most supportive way possible. “It is never an easy decision to close a chapter,” Roth adds. “Especially when it comes to the past 15 years of dedicating ourselves to developing increasingly ambitious games. The toll this has taken on our personal lives and our families has been enormous, and we’ve come to the realization that we need to put this behind us in order to move forward.”
It’s a shame that the decision to close the studio affects the employees caught in the crossfire, but I can’t say I blame Mimimi for prioritising their well-being over years of presumably stressful development cycles. It’s a relatable sentiment for many in the industry, even if it’s sad to see such a consistent and successful studio come to an end.
If you want to learn more about Shadow Gambit, check out everything we know about the Desperados 3 spinoff. You can also read our Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun 2 review for our take on Mimimi’s second successful remake, or our Desperados 3 review for our thoughts on the original game.
