In a bittersweet turn of events, indie game developer Flaming Fowl Studios has released a demo for their upcoming game, Ironmarked, while simultaneously announcing that production has been put on hold due to a lack of funding in the games industry.
Founded in 2016 by former Lionhead employees, Flaming Fowl has released notable games such as Fable Fortune and Gloomhaven. The studio’s latest project, Ironmarked, had its publisher drop out in the summer of 2023. Despite continued funding efforts, Flaming Fowl was unable to secure additional funding from other publishers.
As a result, more than half of Flaming Fowl’s employees have been laid off, reducing the studio’s staff from around 30 to just nine people. The studio is currently working on a smaller, self-funded strategy game that is expected to be released by the end of 2024.
The decision to lay off staff and put Ironmarked on hold was not taken lightly. In a statement, Flaming Fowl CEO Craig Oman expressed his pride in the work his team had done on the game and hoped that the release of the demo would help attract wishlists on Steam, which could potentially persuade a publisher to back the project in the future.
The gaming industry has faced significant challenges in recent months, with numerous layoffs and studio closures. Flaming Fowl’s situation highlights the difficulties that mid-tier studios face in securing funding. As Oman noted, publishers are either looking for small-budget projects or large-scale productions with budgets in the tens of millions.
Despite the setbacks, Flaming Fowl remains determined to continue developing games. The release of the Ironmarked demo is a testament to the studio’s passion and commitment to its craft. The studio hopes that the game will eventually find a publisher and be released to the public.
