Shadowrun and BattleTech developer Harebrained Schemes will return to being an independent development studio next year, after parting ways with publisher Paradox Interactive. The announcement was made in the wake of the launch of The Lamplighters League, which struggled to attract players, resulting in Paradox writing down its full development costs.
According to the press release from Paradox, the decision was reached by “mutual agreement, stemming from each party’s strategic and creative priorities.”
For Harebrained Schemes, that means continuing to support The Lamplighters League through to the end of 2023 while also seeking new funding and partnership opportunities for its next project. Studio operations manager Brian Poel said in a statement that “Our studio mission remains the same: to make games that challenge your mind and touch your heart.”
On Paradox’s side, the move is part of a broader mission to double down on its core business area of strategy and management sims with “endless qualities,” said COO Charlotta Nilsson. That undoubtedly includes the likes of the upcoming Cities: Skylines II and Millennia, alongside its continuing support of Crusader Kings III and similar titles. Nilsson said that another project like The Lamplighters League was not in the publisher’s plans.
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The separation of the two companies will take place formally on January 1, 2024.
This parting of the ways is a curious move, as Paradox acquired Harebrained Schemes back in 2018 after the two companies partnered to release Battletech. The Lamplighters League is the development studio’s first game since then.
The Lamplighters League launched on October 4, 2023 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X. While it picked up players via Xbox Game Pass, that reportedly did not flow through to a solid commercial response. Despite that, The Escapist’s Elise Avery enjoyed her time with the game, saying in her review that it is “far above average” in the turn-based tactics genre.
