The Project

This ambitious project was destined for greatness, but unexpectedly cancelled just before Christmas, 2023.

I made a deal with my publishing partner to build a new studio team and create this game. They would finance things and own the IP, and I would finally get the chance to build bigger games with a bunch of other talented creatives.

After that, we’d be free to build whatever we wanted.

Things started off great and the project garnered a lot of attention amongst gamers, influencers, and platforms. We had a great, simple, small scope project that was as much fun to create as it was to play. We built some awesome tech and a crazy story. We were flying high!

Midway through the project, my publisher went public (IPO) and grew extremely fast. Too fast. They went from a nearly $500M IPO to the verge of bankruptcy in just over two years. As a result, they terminated the team and project, without warning, just before the Holidays.

This was a devastating blow for all of us, and a major let down for all the fans that were anticipating this game. After helping the rest of the team land new jobs, I took some time off to reflect, process all those emotions, and think about the future.

Since then, I have rebooted my “HakJak” brand, returned to solo indie development, and made a vow to build something great.

For more context and details, see my About page.