Reigns developer Nerialends development after 13 years

Nerial, the studio behind Reigns and Card Shark, is ending development after 13 years, with its team now seeking new work. Founders Tamara and François Alliot announced the decision on 1 October, saying it was agreed with Devolver Digital. They describe the studio as entering "hibernation mode", while planning to return to making games themselves after a break.

Gematsu reported the shutdown on 1 October and reproduced the founders' announcement. Game Developer subsequently reported that Nerial was laying off its remaining employees. The studio's own statement recommends its team to prospective employers, but gives no headcount, departure timetable or redundancy terms. Its announcement ends development at Nerial; the founders' intention to make games again is not a commitment to restart the same studio or rehire its staff.

Nerial followed its statement with recommendations for the people affected, making the loss of the team more concrete than an unnamed staffing reduction. It identifies Helen O'Dell as the artist who took over the Reigns series' art direction, and Neil Goodman as lead developer on Card Shark and The Crush House. These are the studio's accounts of their work, offered to help them find other roles, rather than announcements that they have secured new jobs.

There is also a distinction between ending game development and dissolving a company. Companies House still lists Nerial Ltd as an active private limited company when checked on 5 October, with its latest accounts covering the year to 31 December 2025. That legal status does not contradict the founders' decision to stop development. Equally, their use of "hibernation" does not establish that the company has entered insolvency proceedings.

For players, the announcement supplies no withdrawal date for existing games or schedule for future support. Nerial's recent work includes Reigns: The Witcher, made with Devolver and CD PROJEKT RED for PC, Mac and mobile. CD PROJEKT RED's original announcement set its launch for 25 February. The founders' statement names that collaboration among the studio's 11 published games, but does not announce a successor. Their next project, and who would make it with them, remain unspecified.