Nerial, the Studio Behind Reigns and Card Shark, Is Shutting Down

After 13 years and 11 titles, the independent developer Nerial is closing its doors. Creative director and founder François Alliot confirmed the studio’s closure, citing a combination of personal creative goals and the challenging state of the modern gaming industry.

Nerial rose to prominence in 2016 with the launch of Reigns, a mobile strategy game that found widespread mainstream success and spawned multiple sequels and licensed spinoffs, including entries tied to Game of Thrones and The Witcher. Despite the studio’s legacy, Alliot noted that recent projects such as Card Shark and Crush House did not reach the same levels of financial performance, prompting him to re-evaluate the studio’s direction.

Returning to Independent Roots

While the studio was acquired by Devolver Digital in 2021, Alliot described the closing as a mutual decision. Alliot explained that operating as an internal studio shifted the creative process, forcing the team to focus on the expectations of a larger publisher rather than pure, experimental indie development. By dissolving the studio, Alliot intends to return to a more nimble, solo or small-team workflow. Devolver Digital will retain the rights to Nerial’s existing catalog of games, though Alliot noted that he remains on good terms with the publisher.

Impact on the Team

The closure impacts nine employees, including Alliot himself. Seven staff members are being let go as the studio shuts down. Alliot expressed deep appreciation for the team, specifically highlighting the contributions of artist Helen O’Dell, producer AJ Kerr, developers Gordon Speirs, Ben Obikoya, and Neil Goodman, writer Oscar Harrington-Shaw, and designer Neil Bull. While salaried positions at Nerial are ending, Alliot indicated a hope to potentially work with these individuals as contractors on future, smaller-scale projects.

Why it matters

For players, the shuttering of Nerial marks the end of a unique era for the studio, though it does not necessarily mean the end of Alliot’s creative output. Alliot stated that he is ready to step back and focus on new, personal projects that he feels passionate about, independent of the pressures of managing a mid-sized studio in a volatile market.

Industry-wide, the news reflects broader concerns regarding the current gaming landscape. Alliot pointed to factors like post-COVID market contraction and the rise of AI as significant hurdles that make it increasingly difficult for original ideas to stand out before being rapidly iterated upon or copied. As the industry continues to fluctuate, players may see more veteran developers moving away from traditional studio structures in favor of smaller, more autonomous creative efforts to protect their artistic voice.