Heart Machine lays off nearly all staff after funding falls through
Heart Machine, known for Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, has laid off nearly all remaining staff after funding for an unreleased game fell through.
- Studio founder and head Alx Preston said he is not sure whether Heart Machine will continue to exist.
- The studio says it is supporting affected employees, including help finding new work.
What happened
Kotaku reported on 16 September 2026 that Heart Machine has laid off nearly all of its remaining staff. The trigger was a publisher backing out of funding for an unannounced title. According to the report, the project already had financing, but that follow-up support fell away.
Alx Preston, co-founder and studio head of Heart Machine, said in the report that he is not sure how or whether the studio will continue. That leaves Heart Machine's future uncertain for now. Kotaku did not name the publisher and did not give an exact number of employees affected.
Heart Machine says it is supporting the workers impacted, including with help finding new jobs. The studio is known for Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, and according to the provided sources, this latest situation is not tied to a released game but to an unreleased project whose details have not been shared.
Timeline
2025-11: Heart Machine releases Possessors, the most recent game release mentioned in the sources.
2026-09-16: Kotaku reports that Heart Machine has laid off nearly all of its remaining staff after funding for an unreleased game fell through.
2026-09-16: Alx Preston says in the report that he is not sure whether Heart Machine will survive.
2026-09-16: Heart Machine says it is supporting laid-off employees, including help with finding new work.
2026-09-16: Kotaku says the publisher did not continue funding, but does not name the publisher or give exact layoff numbers.
Background
Heart Machine first became known for Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash. The provided sources also mention Possessors as the studio's most recent released game, with a November 2025 launch. This new round of layoffs, however, is tied to an unreleased project that had funding before that support disappeared.
The sources do not provide revenue figures, sales results, or further financial details. They do make clear that the lost funding had an immediate impact on staffing and that the studio's future is uncertain. No further information about the project, the publisher involved, or any possible restructuring has been confirmed.