GreedFall Studio Spiders’ Closure May Be the RPG Middle Class Disappearing

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Greedfall: The Dying World didn’t live up to expectations, making it a major letdown in 2026. While it’s not a bad game, it falls short when compared to the quality of the first Greedfall. This has been particularly tough for both fans and the developers at Spiders studio.

The studio has permanently closed, which is a worrying sign for the gaming industry and a caution to other similar studios trying to create their own franchises. It’s really unfortunate, because Spiders made some fantastic role-playing games, and they carried on the tradition of classic BioWare titles after that studio’s quality declined.

Okay, so let’s talk about GreedFall. It had so much potential, but things didn’t quite work out, and honestly, I think what happened with it is a really important lesson for everyone making games. It’s a warning sign we need to pay attention to.

Who Spiders Was

Spiders is a game studio known for creating distinctive role-playing games. They’ve made several titles, including Bound by Flame, The Technomancer (a personal favorite), and their most popular game, GreedFall. Their games strongly emphasize player choice and its consequences, much like early BioWare RPGs. However, they’ve always been limited by relatively modest budgets.

As a fan, I always appreciated how these smaller games filled the gaps between the big releases. I’d be eagerly anticipating the next Mass Effect, and then something like The Technomancer would come along – a really solid sci-fi RPG with fantastic combat and a totally unique story. It was just different! And then in 2019, when it felt like all the major RPG developers were quiet, GreedFall surprised everyone. It was a genuinely excellent RPG with a rich world, tons of backstory, and some really memorable characters and enemies. It really scratched that itch when we were all craving something new.

It’s really sad, honestly. Spiders makes some truly fantastic RPGs – they’ve kept the feel of classic BioWare games alive, especially after BioWare’s quality started to decline. As a fan, I really appreciate them for that!

Spiders wasn’t known for blockbuster titles, but they consistently delivered enjoyable games to play between major releases. Sometimes, their games were surprisingly well-made, even surpassing those from larger studios. For over ten years, they’ve been a valuable part of the gaming world, so it’s especially disheartening to see them close down immediately after releasing the latest installment in their popular series.

The Rise of Greed, the Fall of Passion

After the disappointing performance of GreedFall: The Dying World, Nacon decided to stop working with Spiders. It’s a shame to lose a promising game series, especially since the original GreedFall resonated with many players as a compelling RPG reminiscent of Dragon Age. The game boasted a lively, original world, memorable characters, an engaging story, and enjoyable combat – qualities that deserved more recognition.

This game wasn’t trying to be the next big fantasy RPG, but it stood out as the only recent role-playing game with a colonial setting. It was fantastic to play a classic, story-focused RPG with a party of characters, where choices really mattered and the game wasn’t afraid to be challenging or even a little controversial. It’s been seven years since we’ve seen anything similar – in fact, the last game like it was GreedFall itself. So, losing both the game and the studio that made it is a real blow. Games of this type just aren’t being created anymore.

So, why didn’t the sequel work out? After playing for a few hours, it’s clear the beginning is rough. They also drastically altered the combat system for no good reason, and the fact that it’s a prequel makes it feel like your actions don’t really have any impact.

The biggest disappointment was that GreedFall didn’t get a proper sequel. The original game’s protagonist, De Sardet, had the potential to become an iconic character like Commander Shepard, but the developers at Spiders changed direction and created a new game that feels outdated in its gameplay. Unfortunately, the new main character isn’t nearly as engaging or likable as De Sardet was.

Honestly, as someone who loved the first game, I saw this coming a mile away. Spiders has been working on this for years in Early Access, and players have been giving them feedback, but it feels like they just didn’t listen. They were so determined to do things their way, and it really backfired. They ended up disappointing a lot of us who were fans of the original, and the new stuff just wasn’t strong enough to bring in a new audience. It’s a real shame.

What Their Dissolution Signals

As a fan, the news about Spiders really worries me. It feels like a warning sign for other smaller studios out there. It seems like there’s absolutely no room for error anymore, especially if you’re a smaller team owned by a bigger company like Nacon. You can’t afford to release a game that doesn’t hit it out of the park. And honestly, it’s a tough ask! These smaller teams usually have way fewer people, but everyone expects the same level of polish, huge worlds, and overall quality you’d find in a massive, AAA game. It’s a lot to ask, and it makes me nervous for the future of these developers.

The real problem is that Spiders released a successful game despite some clear issues. Launching with Early Access, as they did with GreedFall: The Dying World, was a risky decision. While it worked well for Baldur’s Gate 3, it often makes players think the game isn’t fully polished and relies on feedback to finish development. The fact that Spiders didn’t adequately respond to that feedback was concerning.

Many smaller game studios choose this approach. It lets them develop at a relaxed pace, with fans getting to experience the game as it’s created. However, it also requires consistent progress and a strong final product to satisfy those fans.

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With Spider Studios closing down, it’s unclear what will happen to mid-sized game developers. How can they take risks on big projects when even a successful game might not guarantee their long-term survival? It almost makes more sense to focus on small, independent games, as that way they can avoid the pressure and unrealistic expectations that often come with working with larger publishers who offer limited resources.

That confidence to achieve your vision is now riskier than ever.

Occasionally, a game like Sandfall with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 becomes a huge hit. However, for most smaller studios without massive budgets, trying to achieve that level of success is incredibly risky – it’s like playing a dangerous game with a high chance of failure.

It’s starting to feel like mid-sized game studios are disappearing, similar to what happened with Spider Studios. We’re likely to be left with only small indie games and huge, blockbuster titles, losing those reliably good, but not groundbreaking, games. This means we’ll only be able to fondly remember the quirky charm of those older ‘Double A’ games.

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2026-05-04 16:10