Nerial, the studio behind Reigns, is shutting down after 13 years
Nerial, the developer of the Reigns series, is closing after 13 years and 11 published games. Devolver Digital and Nerial jointly decided to end development at the studio, leaving around eight staff, including the founders, to seek new roles. Founders Tamara and François Alliot said they plan to keep making games after taking time to reflect.
Nerial, acquired by Devolver Digital in 2021, had worked with the publisher before the purchase on multiple Reigns titles. Its catalog includes the original Reigns, estimated at $6.2m since 2016, plus licensed versions tied to Game of Thrones ($2.2m), Three Kingdoms on Netflix, and The Witcher ($191K). Several entries appeared via Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass, and Nerial launched The Crush House on PC in 2024.
The closure follows a joint decision by Nerial and Devolver to stop development. A LinkedIn post indicates roughly eight employees, founders included, are affected. Tamara and François Alliot said they intend to return to game-making after reflecting, without explaining what led to the shutdown.
The closure may affect the roughly eight staff and founders seeking new roles, as well as players who value Nerial's narrative-driven titles. It could reduce one small studio's output within Devolver's portfolio and add to broader concerns about stability in game development. Fans of Reigns and The Crush House may see fewer updates or sequels, while other studios could absorb displaced talent.