David Goldfarb, co-founder of The Outsiders, has confirmed the studio is “not dead” and is “working on something” with the goal of “getting everything together” for a “2.0 version” of the company.
This announcement follows a period of significant change. Last October, Funcom, the parent company, informed GamesIndustry.biz that its open-world survival game, Dune: Awakening, represented “the biggest release we’ve had in our 32-year long history of making great games.” However, Funcom later announced staff layoffs as part of a studio restructuring. These broader cuts led to the closure of Goldfarb’s studio, The Outsiders.
In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Goldfarb acknowledged that Metal: Hellsinger “didn’t sell enough.” He noted the current market conditions make it “very hard to stay alive” after such an outcome.
“The 2.0 version of The Outsiders is currently in development, so the studio is not gone. Efforts are underway to organize everything to allow for its continuation,” Goldfarb stated.
He added, “A new project is being developed, and discussions are ongoing with various individuals. If these efforts succeed, the studio will be in a position to proceed with the project and potentially re-engage some former colleagues. That is the aspiration.”
Goldfarb also commented on the current challenge of securing funding, saying, “It is a difficult period for seeking investments. Strangely, this never causes concern. There is always a belief that it will ultimately succeed. It is simply a matter of timing and identifying the right partners, but success is anticipated.”
