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Laid To Rest: Spec Ops Creator Zombie Studios Closes

Blacklight Retribution living on

After two decades making games, Zombie Studios have shut down. Since 1994, they've created the tactical shooter series Spec Ops, brought Zork into semi-3D with Zork Nemesis, dabbled in free-to-play with multiplayer FPS Blacklight: Retribution, spooked people with Daylight, and more. While Zombie is going to the grave [strong wordplay, and tactful too -ed.], Blacklight will live on. Some of the Zombie team have formed a new studio, Builder Box, which has taken ownership of Retribution and will continue to work on it.

A goodbye letter on Zombie's site says:

"The owners of Zombie Studios are retiring and wish to thank you, our fans, for the years of support you have provided us. It has been awesome working with all the various technology over the years, both hardware and software, growing with the industry and our fans, and producing fun games and technology of our own. We also wish to thank our employees, both present and past. Your dedication and passion to gaming is what Zombie was all about."

As for Builder Box, they explain, they've formed a new studio around Blacklight and its team. They're promising "more updates and exciting changes in the coming year." Support for the PC version of Blacklight has been somewhat lacking over the past year, so hopefully they'll deliver.

Best of luck to former Zombies.

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About the Author
Alice O'Connor avatar

Alice O'Connor

Associate Editor

Alice has been playing video games since SkiFree and writing about them since 2009, with nine years at RPS. She enjoys immersive sims, roguelikelikes, chunky revolvers, weird little spooky indies, mods, walking simulators, and finding joy in details. Alice lives, swims, and cycles in Scotland.

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