To everyone’s surprise, Meta is reportedly shutting down Ready at Dawn, the prominent video game development studio known for its high-quality work on various platforms, particularly in the action-adventure genre, as reported by Android Central. While many were sceptical when the news came out, an insider from Ready at Dawn confirmed the unfortunate truth.
In the words of designer director Robert Duncan: “As many have already heard, this morning Ready at Dawn Studios is closing its doors. I’ve been at RAD for over ten years, and I am saddened to see this wonderful team I’ve grown to love broken apart this way. That said, at least for now, I’m trying to focus my effort on (And let’s be honest, distract myself by) finding solid places for all my dear friends to land. If anyone has any leads/positions they’d like to share, please feel free to contact me directly, and I’ll try my best to get you in touch with good folks who might be interested.”
Following the statement, Meta also clarified that the shuttering of Ready at Dawn shouldn’t be a sign of shaky confidence in VR development by the company, and it’s still committed to its VR platforms. In addition, they are offering former developers application opportunities elsewhere within Oculus Studios, as the company wants to retain as much talent as possible.
A Tribute to Ready at Dawn
Since former employees of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment founded Ready at Dawn in 2023, it has established itself as a versatile and technically proficient studio with a strong portfolio of games across different platforms, such as their PSP titles, Daxter (2006) and God of War: Chains of Olympus (2008), and God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010).
Besides standing on its own, the studio collaborated with PlayStation in releasing The Order: 1886 (2015), an action-adventure game for the PlayStation 4, set in an alternate history of Victorian London. Their collaboration continued with Ready at Dawn releasing Lone Echo (2017), a virtual reality (VR) game for Oculus Rift, set in a zero-gravity environment on a space station and Echo VR (2017), the VR sports game that expanded on the mechanics of Lone Echo, offering a multiplayer experience where players compete in zero-gravity arenas.
With their success in VR development, Meta acquired Ready At Dawn, making it a part of Oculus Studios. The acquisition marked a shift in the studio’s focus towards VR development, leveraging their expertise in creating immersive and innovative experiences for virtual reality platforms.
Unfortunately, the acquisition did not yield as much success as the studio only released Lone Echo 2 (2021). Moreover, with continuous layoffs and budget cuts, the company’s shuttering was envisioned but unexpected. Regardless, Ready at Dawn is an OG, and their commitment to exploring new frontiers in gaming technology is definitely worthy of respect from the gaming community and us.
Meta VR Development Is Not Slowing Down
As an update to the developmental studio’s shuttering, a Meta spokesperson clarified that the decision was to “ensure Oculus Studios can make a better long-term impact” on VR development and that Reality Labs doesn’t exceed its reduced financial constraints.
For context, Meta reportedly cut the division’s short-term funding by 20% last month, but it’s still committed to its VR platforms. For instance, Meta reportedly revealed their plans and roadmap to launch its first pair of smart glasses with a display in 2025 alongside a neural interface smartwatch designed to control them.
Moreover, three people in charge of Meta Quest 4 have reportedly revealed a 2026 release window for the wearable headset in two variants, called Pismo Low and Pismo High. In addition, Meta mentioned it is close to achieving its long-term goal to revolutionise remote communication by achieving truly convincing photorealistic avatars driven in real-time by headsets with face-tracking sensors called Codec Avatars, and they may incorporate it in its upcoming Meta Quest Pro 2.
For additional information on Meta’s AR and VR roadmap, click our directory here.
Closing Notes
With everything considered, it is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to Ready at Dawn, a studio that has left an indelible mark on the gaming industry. As for the layoff developers, we hope they and Meta reach an agreement to allow them to continue their passion and bring more unforgettable gaming titles to the fans.
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