For those wondering why it seemed like FASA Studio had abandoned Shadowrun after all of it’s hype, today we get some answers.
Mitch Gitelman has announced that today is the last day of operation for FASA Studio. Those who haven’t already moved on, will be packing their things and saying goodbye to fellow developers and friends.
Mitch goes on to imply that this shutdown has been coming for a long time, but they decided to get Shadowrun out the door first as to not affect sales. This comes as some sad new for gamers and fans trying to cope with the problems in Shadowrun, waiting for fixes, new maps, game types and in general a better Shadowrun experience. To their credit, FASA has released three patches for the game with marginal improvements.
Half of FASA have found jobs within Microsoft Game Studios and it appears FASA will continue to employ a Community Manager and a Technical Support Manager through Microsoft for people who are still playing Shadowrun. Though we can’t really see their services being needed after Sept 25th. Check out the whole community letter from Mitch below.
Dear Friends,
It is my sad duty to announce that FASA Studio has officially closed its doors. Today was the official last day of employment for those of us who had not moved on to other positions within Microsoft Game Studios. While the rumors have been circulating forever, we chose to wait on an official announcement because we didn’t want people’s attention distracted from our last product, Shadowrun, a game we love.
As a testament to the team's commitment to Shadowrun, we released three title updates to improve the product even after the team learned we were losing our studio. We have kept our Community Manager and Technical Support Manager on the job to aid and support you and will continue to do so while people continue to play our game. I am pleased that about half of us have found great positions elsewhere in MGS and Microsoft where they can share their experience and passion with the great people there.
But now, as the last of us say our goodbyes to each other, I’m saying goodbye to you on behalf of a group of talented and dedicated professionals who busted their humps for the love of the game. I am proud to have worked with and represented them to you and know that wherever they go, they will continue to kick ass.
Mitch
