First Contact Entertainment, the folks behind the team-based online VR shooters Firewall Zero Hour for the PlayStation VR and Firewall Ultra for the PS VR2, have announced the unfortunate closure of their studio by the end of this year, marking yet another games industry shuttering right at the tail end of 2023.
The developer announced the news via a post on Facebook, saying that the cause for the exit is due to a “lack of support for VR within the industry” meaning its not able to justify the costs of running a AAA VR studio.
The post reads, “After almost 8 years of working with the most amazing team I’ve ever have the pleasure of being part of, I’m sad to announce that we will be closing our company First Contact Entertainment by the end of the year. The lack of support for VR within the industry has eventually taken its toll. As a AAA VR game developer, we are just not able to justify the expense needed gouging forward. We are a team of fearless innovators willing to push new technologies to its limits. I am extremely proud of the team and grateful to our investors, our partners and of course our community of dedicated and passionate players. It’s been a wild ride, Thankyou!”
The original Firewall Zero Hour was something of a hit for the first iteration of the PlayStation VR, but while technically impressive as a VR game, the follow-up Firewall Ultra’s launch this year was brought down by middling reviews, live service elements that didn’t land well with players and ultimately a lack of response from the PS VR2 audience resulting in empty servers.