Lost Planet 3 dev Spark Unlimited shuts down

Spark Unlimited has closed down after 13 years of making video games, laying off all members of its team.

The Los Angeles studio’s closure was confirmed to Polygon by chief technical officer John Butrovich, who said: “It’s the end of Spark as a game developer”.

Butrovich confirmed that co-founder, CEO and president Craig Allen actually resigned last last year “to pursue other ventures and interests” and added that some employees “have decided to move on to other things”.

All of Spark’s projects, including a free-to-play game, have been cancelled, although the studio still has several ongoing revenue streams, which are going to a trustee. 

Butrovich hinted that former Spark employees may be working to on new projects, most likely outside of video games.

The studio’s collapse was first spotted by a NeoGAF user, who saw the company’s assets up for sale via CMA Auctions.

Spark Unlimited was originally founded in 2002, with its first game being Call of Duty: Finest Hour. Over the years it has also developed Lost Planet 3, Legendary and – most recently – Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z.

For all the news straight to your inbox, sign up to the Develop Daily.