Update (4/12/2024): In an email obtained by Polygon’s Nicole Carpenter, Prytania co-founder Jeff Strain attributed the closure of Possibility Space to an incoming report from Kotaku’s Ethan Gach.
In his statement, Strain claimed he was asked non-public information about a game named Project Vonnegut. Following a meeting with an unnamed publishing partner, he canceled the project and ended the studio.
“To see internal team members under a confidentiality agreement engage in [these leaks] was sickening,” wrote Strain.
Gach’s report, it should be noted, is not published at time of writing. Further, Strain’s behavior is similar to that of his wife Annie, who made a pre-emptive statement on Gach’s report last week.
Strain ended his statement by revealing he was stepping away from games to “focus on my family and care for Annie. I wish all of you the best as you navigate this complex industry and the challenges above and opportunities ahead.”
Original story: Prytania Media has closed down Possibility Space, its second studio in as many months.
The studio was formed in mid-2021, with several prominent names behind it such as Waypoint Media’s Austin Walker and Ubisoft alum Liz England. At the time, it was aiming to make “joyful games around human experiences.”
Per senior designer Brendan McLeod, all employees at the 2.5-year-old studio have been laid off. This was further corroborated by several now ex-staff on LinkedIn, with one employee saying it was done “without notice.”
Possibility Space, Crop Circle, and Prytania Media
Possibility Space was a subsidiary of Prytania Media, which itself is headed up by Jeff and Annie Strain. In March, the pair fully closed down Crop Circle Games, which was furloughed before its closure.
Both Possibility Space and Crop Circle were working on projects which are likely dead, given their respective teams have been disbanded.
To date, neither Strain have commented on CC’s closure, and the same appears to be true for Possibility.