SkySaga indefinitely on hold due to publisher Smilegate not renewing contract

Terrible news for British developer Radiant Worlds and players who were enjoying the upcoming voxel-based sandbox MMO SkySaga: Infinite Isles. An announcement was just made and it's a grim one: publisher Smilegate (the Korean giant currently developing Lost Ark), publishing partner to Skysaga, has decided not to renew the recently expired contract between the studios and this means that the game is now “on hold for an unknown period of time.”

SkySaga: Infinite Isles is the only game in development at Radiant Worlds, a studio founded by the Oliver Twins, notable for creating the Dizzy adventure series for Codemasters. As the studio now has no source of income, layoffs are very likely to happen, and the fate of the studio itself is gloomy.

This decision caught the studio by surprise. After working on Skysaga: Infinite Isles for four years, the game was set to enter beta this year and the overall impressions were positive. Alas, it just wasn't meant to be.

Our heart goes to everyone affected. Here is what the three founders of Radiant Worlds had to say on this situation:

Philip Oliver, CEO: “We were extremely shocked and saddened to hear Smilegate's decision. Despite an extended period of negotiation, this came as a total shock to us, especially as we continue to believe the game has enormous potential. We have been 100% dedicated to developing SkySaga for Smilegate for several years but since there is no prospect of obtaining enough replacement business within a realistic timeframe, we have been left with no option but to notify our staff of the intended consultancy period today.”

Richard Smithies, Chairman & COO: “We are all devastated at Smilegate's decision but I can confirm that Radiant Worlds is in a strong financial position and has the ability to meet all of our statutory and contractual obligations to all staff and external suppliers. This is not an insolvency situation and we are totally committed to doing whatever we can to support everyone involved.”

Andrew Oliver, CTO: “This is a terribly sad outcome after a fantastic four years of working on this amazing game. We are incredibly proud of what the whole studio has created, and it's hugely disappointing to us that none of them will get to follow up on that work and see the game through to a full commercial release, as they all deserve.”