Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jun 23
Douze Dixiémes Shuts Down 5 Months After MIO Launch as France's Game Industry Struggles
Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jun 23

Douze Dixiémes Shuts Down 5 Months After MIO Launch as France's Game Industry Struggles

3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Jun 23

Summary

  • Five months after releasing MIO: Memories in Orbit, French studio Douze Dixiémes is closing despite the game reaching the 80s on Metacritic and drawing nearly 2,000 very positive Steam reviews.
  • Le Figaro tied the shutdown to a broader crunch in France's game sector, where strong reception has not guaranteed survival in an increasingly crowded market.
  • Focus Entertainment is expected to keep publishing rights to MIO, ending any chance that Douze Dixiémes will build a follow-up to its early-2026 release.
  • Quantic Dream, Don't Nod and Nacon studios are also under financial pressure, with venture capital and Chinese tech investors reportedly retreating from gaming.

Insights

Why did a critically praised game lead to its developer's shutdown only five months after its launch?
With small game studios collapsing, is AI becoming the only viable path for creative survival?