Aheartfulofgames, the Spanish studio behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed, says it faces closure after its owner Outright Games signalled its intention to make all employees at the studio redundant.
“This decision would result in the permanent closure of our studio and the loss of employment for all 28 professionals who make up our team,” reads the statement from Aheartfulofgames, which was prepared with support from the CSVI game workers union, part of the CGT union in Spain.
UK-based publisher Outright Games specialises in family-friendly licensed titles, and it acquired the Madrid-based Aheartfulofgames in 2022. Previously, the Spanish studio had created the games DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of The Nine Realms and DreamWorks Spirit: Lucky’s Big Adventure.
“The game met the commercial expectations set by Outright”
Statement from Aheartfulofgames
“Following our acquisition, and after two years of continued development adapting to tight time and resource constraints, the Aheartfulofgames team delivered Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed,” continues the statement. “The project was completed on schedule and without production issues. After launching in October 2024, the game met the commercial expectations set by Outright.”
“In August 2024, Aheartfulofgames began the development of a new project at Outright’s request, despite the licence not having been formally confirmed. This development was paused in January 2025 due to a reported lack of interest from the client in moving forward.”
The statement then claims that a change in leadership at Outright prompted a switch to “prioritising low-cost, fast-turnaround projects.”
The studio says that it started work on a more ambitious project in February 2025, as well as beginning development “on a more modest title in the hopes of securing an agreement.”
“Three months later, in April, we were informed that both developments would not move forward, this time without any explanation, even though the second was already at an advanced stage of production. That same month, as far as we’re aware, the [Outright Games] Group proceeded with new strategic acquisitions and hires.”
The statement claims that over time, the frequency and scope of internal communications from Outright has progressively diminished, “culminating in May 2025, when our studio was explicitly excluded from a corporate group meeting.”
It adds that Aheartfulofgames was verbally informed of the decision to shut down the studio in June.
“Outright has justified the collective redundancy on the grounds of productive causes,” continues the statement. “However, their output continues through outsourced studios and their overall activity has not seen a significant decline.”
“There is no operational or economic justification for Outright Games’ decision to destroy 28 jobs”
Statement from Aheartfulofgames
The statement points towards a number of upcoming titles such as Dora Rainforest Rescue and Bratz: Rhythm and Style, noting that Outright Games “chose to outsource development of these projects to third parties while our team remained available, working and receiving salaries, a decision for which no economic rationale has been provided.”
“Our operational capacity would have allowed us to take on one of these projects in parallel with our ongoing work, thereby making better use of resources while continuing to develop strategic and creative proposals aimed at securing more ambitious opportunities for Outright. Although we received, and proactively submitted several initial licence pitches, as mentioned above, none were formalised by Outright.”
The statement concludes: “Aheartfulofgames has consistently delivered commercially successful projects on time and met performance goals. There is no operational or economic justification for Outright Games’ decision to destroy 28 jobs without offering any redeployment options or exploring alternative ways to preserve them.”
“Given the complexity of the situation, the team at Aheartfulofgames has formed a union section, supported by the Video Game Union Coordination (CSVI). Our goal is to defend our rights and stand up for workplace dignity.”
GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Outright Games for comment, and Outright Games Group CEO Robin Flood provided the following statement:
“We can confirm that Outright Games has entered into a formal consultation process regarding the proposed closure of Aheartfulofgames.
“This is a difficult situation, and not a decision we’ve taken lightly. We recognise the team’s dedication and understand the impact this may have on those affected.
“Conversations are still ongoing with the employee representatives”
Robin Flood, Outright Games Group
“We’ve been in discussions with studio management for the past six months, following an internal review, and conversations are still ongoing with the employee representatives, as we work to confirm the best possible package and support for the team.
“Outright Games remains focused on delivering high-quality family entertainment and building a sustainable structure to support that goal.”
A representative of Outright Games noted that the group can share only limited information while the formal consultation process is ongoing.
The news comes following a wave of studio closures and redundancies in 2025, including the recent news that Spitgate 2 developer 1047 Games plans to make a second wave of layoffs, following redundancies at Sandsoft, Supermassive, Virtuos, Red Storm, and Microsoft, among others.
