Fantastic Pixel Castle, a studio backed by NetEase Games, will cease operations on November 17, 2025. This was announced by team lead Greg Street, known for World of Warcraft and his work in Riot Games' MMO division.
"Fantastic Pixel Castle will close on November 17. While the possibility of obtaining funding after that date still remains, it will depend on the number of team members remaining. While we would like to continue developing the game, our main goal is to help developers find work, whether at an independent Fantastic Pixel Castle 2.0 or at many other great (and hopefully stable) gaming and technology companies."
The studio was founded in 2023. It was working on the MMO Ghost, but NetEase stopped funding and abandoned its partner status. The team tried to find investors and a publisher to continue development, but without success. According to Street, the chances of reviving the project remain, but depend on how many employees decide to stay.
NetEase is reducing investments in foreign studios. Similar decisions have already affected other divisions. As Street noted, the industry is now "extremely complex" — even large investments do not guarantee the success of an MMO.
