NetEase to Close Fantastic Pixel Castle Unless New Funding Is Secured
Publisher NetEase has announced plans to shutter Fantastic Pixel Castle (FPC), the studio it launched in 2023 under the leadership of Greg Street, a former developer at Blizzard and Riot Games. The studio had been developing an ambitious triple-A MMORPG, internally known as “Ghost.”
According to reporting from Video Games Chronicle, Street confirmed the impending closure in a LinkedIn post, stating that Fantastic Pixel Castle will close its doors on November 17, 2023 unless the team secures new financing to continue development independently. He emphasized that while there remains a possibility of funding after that date, the outcome will depend on how many team members remain employed.
Street said the studio’s immediate priority is to support its developers in finding new positions—whether that means reorganizing into an independent outfit or helping staff transition to other companies in the games and tech sectors.
Shortly before this announcement, Fantastic Pixel Castle said it was parting ways with NetEase. A community update on the studio’s website expresses cautious optimism about last-minute funding efforts and notes that the team already has a playable demo, leaving hope that the project could still find backing.
The situation at FPC reflects a broader retrenchment at NetEase, which has been reducing investment in several international development partners. That change in strategy has left studios such as Vancouver-based Worlds Untold, Austin-based T-Minus Zero, and Seattle-based Jar of Sparks scrambling to secure alternative funding or pause operations.
Though “Ghost” never received a formal public reveal, Fantastic Pixel Castle described it as a fantasy MMORPG set in the Shardlands. The game’s design aimed to subvert familiar fantasy clichés and center around two interlocking realms—Blue Shards for intimate play with friends and Red Shards for a broader, massively multiplayer experience.
Ghost was said to focus on a chapter-driven narrative, distinct character classes, and systems that make cooperative play seamless regardless of disparate player progress or level—intended to simplify grouping friends across different stages of the game.
For additional context on NetEase’s current slate, the publisher revealed its first triple-A single-player title, Blood Message, earlier in June.
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