Rumor: Deck Nine Faces Closure After Pitches for Buffy and Conan Games Failed

Life is Strange developer Deck Nine is facing severe financial trouble, and its future is now in question.

According to former studio employee LadyDevHeart, Deck Nine worked on licensed games based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Conan the Barbarian, and a new The Walking Dead project over the years. These projects were in pre-production before being canceled. The studio also spent a brief period working on The Wolf Among Us 2. The Expanse: A Telltale Series stands as the only major project outside of its collaboration with Square Enix to reach release.

LadyDevHeart states that during the development of Life is Strange: Double Exposure and the studio’s next game, Deck Nine spent more money than it received from Square Enix. In 2024, Deck Nine laid off about 20% of its staff and later implemented another wave of layoffs.

The studio’s teams are now gradually shrinking while work continues on Life is Strange: Reunion. There is no official confirmation yet regarding the closure of Deck Nine.