Reigns and Card Shark developer Nerial has introduced its closure because it enters “hibernation mode.”
In a press release on social media, studio founders CEO Tamara Alliot and inventive director François Alliot stated that “after 13 years and 11 printed video games, now we have determined along with our companions at Devolver to finish growth and the studio.”
Devolver acquired Nerial in 2021. Final 12 months, the team was reduced by 40% to “tackle points round latest releases and to higher form the crew for future releases.”
François informed Kotaku that Devolver will retain the rights to Nerial’s current catalogue, and emphasised that they continue to be “superb mates.”
“Having been purchased by Devolver, you turn out to be an inside studio, so meaning every of our video games must be a Devolver sport,” he famous. “And Devolver must publish all Nerial video games, which it did match very nicely for Reigns, it did match very nicely for Card Shark, for instance. So there may be this widespread floor and we might have discovered a manner.”
“Nevertheless it’s like, each time now we have to consider what the opposite needs. And there is a little bit of a second-guessing. I recognise this example, the place you lose a little bit of the concentrated vitality that you just had as a pure indie. And I need to get again to that in a roundabout way… it would work, may not work, however it does not contain so many individuals.”
Video games journalist Chris Kerr noted {that a} latest Companies House fiscal report indicated the studio skilled two years of “important buying and selling losses” and had turn out to be “dependent” on monetary help from Devolver. Nerial misplaced over £800,000 in 2025 and practically £1 million in 2024.
Nerial has 9 workers, together with its founders. Tamara and François acknowledged they plan to proceed making video games and “return to [their] roots,” however will first “take a break and mirror on every little thing that is occurred, earlier than coming again with a brand new perspective.”
“The fabulous Nerial crew will now search new alternatives and we wholeheartedly advocate every one to any potential studios that can be fortunate sufficient to have them.”
François informed Kotaku that “he hopes to have the ability to proceed to work with them as contractors sooner or later, however isn’t at the moment ready to retain them as salaried workers”
“We additionally need to thank the various superb folks we have teamed up with, each contained in the studio, at Devolver, and thru advert hoc collaborations. Every of our tasks was solely attainable by way of such not possible, fleeting conjunctions of expertise and fervour.”
François stated that he wanted to “step again and rethink what I need to do with my indie profession.”
“It is turn out to be a bit tough to push ahead, particularly with the present context, with post-COVID, there is a little bit of this crash within the online game business that everybody is aware of. AI sucking out all of the air from the room. So we’re rebuilding, attempting to rebuild sturdy roots. And for that, I have to take a step again.”