NetEase has shut down Austin-based studio T-Minus Zero Entertainment.
T-Minus Zero Entertainment studio head and co-founder, Rich Vogel, confirmed the closure to Game Developer just days after Vogel announced the studio’s partnership with NetEase was “coming to an end.”
Vogel announced the end of the studio’s partnership with NetEase on August 26, 2025, in a post from T-Minus Zero Entertainment’s LinkedIn account.
“Every journey has its twists and turns, and ours with NetEase is coming to an end,” Vogel wrote in the post.
“We deeply appreciate NetEase for providing us with both ample runway and support – from helping us find potential investors to giving us the time and budget to develop our game into a fully playable hands-on demo. It has generated a lot of interest.
“However, despite this progress, current market conditions have prevented us from securing the funding we need at this time.”
NetEase launched T-Minus Zero Entertainment in August 2023, revealing that, alongside BioWare Austin co-founder Vogel, the team would include a host of seasoned developers from BioWare and Bethesda, including Mark Tucker, Jeff Dobson, and Scott Malone.
The team’s debut title was set to be a third-person online multiplayer action game based on a new sci-fi IP.
“Our studio’s mission is to create epic, immersive worlds where players from around the globe can play together, forming vibrant and passionate communities,” Vogel said at launch.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in September 2023, a month after T-Minus Zero Entertainment’s launch, Vogel acknowledged the potential challenges of developing an online game in the current landscape.
“We’re doing games-as-a-service and that’s not trivial,” Vogel said. “There’s a lot of money that has to go up front, to get the servers online and get everything structured globally before launch and go to market.
“So that to me is why I didn’t want [go through funding rounds]. The process just leads to demo modes and chasing everything. I want to build a great game. Again, there’s always risk. This is the entertainment industry. This is a journey. We may be successful, we may not. But we learn a lot along the way.”
In the LinkedIn post, Vogel said the studio now recognises that “now may not be the best time to seek funding given today’s climate,” but that the team’s playable demo proves its “potential to develop something fresh and exciting that will resonate with players for years.”
“We take pride in the solid foundation we’ve built together,” he continued.
In a statement to Game Developer, NetEase confirmed it has made the “difficult decision” to shut down the studio.
“This decision was made with careful consideration, as we have been inspired by our partnership with the studio and their bold vision,” NetEase told the publication.
“However, we have had to reassess our business priorities and are now working closely with the studio to provide support and explore next steps.”
GamesIndustry.biz has contacted NetEase for comment on this story.
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