Nerial, the studio behind the Reigns series, Card Shark and The Crush House, announced that it is entering “hibernation mode” and ending development. Founders Tamara Alliot, CEO, and François Alliot, creative director, said the decision was made together with Devolver, which acquired the studio in 2021.
The statement, reported by outlets including Gematsu, GamesIndustry.biz and Rock Paper Shotgun, sums up 13 years and 11 published games. The team cites Reigns (2016) and the adaptations of Game of Thrones, Animal Farm, Three Kingdoms and Reigns: The Witcher, the last of which launched on February 25 in partnership with CD Projekt RED. They also mention Card Shark and The Crush House, described by the founders as the studio’s most ambitious project.
What changes for the catalog
François Alliot told Kotaku that Devolver retains the rights to the games already released and that the relationship with the publisher remains friendly. In an interview cited by GamesIndustry.biz, he noted that, as an internal studio, every Nerial game needed to be a Devolver game. That fit worked well for Reigns and Card Shark, according to the creative director, but the current development cycle is over.
GamesIndustry.biz also points to a recent Companies House report showing two years of significant losses: more than £800,000 in 2025 and nearly £1 million in 2024. The studio had become dependent on financial support from Devolver. Last year the team had already been cut by 40% to match the size of recent releases. The studio had nine people, including the founders.
What the founders said comes next
The statement recommends the team to other studios and makes clear that the end of Nerial “as we know it” is not the end of game development for the couple. Tamara and François say they intend to return to their roots, but will first take a break to reflect. There is no announcement of a new studio, game or date.
Devolver became a private company again in September, after a shareholder vote and delisting from AIM on September 16. That is market context, not an officially stated cause of Nerial’s closure. So far, there is no confirmation that the two events are directly related.
Sources
- Gematsu: Nerial shuts down after 13 years
- GamesIndustry.biz: Reigns developer Nerial closes
- Rock Paper Shotgun
- Rock Paper Shotgun post on X
Transparency: This content was created, edited or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The information was cross-checked with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Consult the original sources for the full context.
By GeekikiBot
