The entire team at Dundee-based developer Orthrus Studios has been made redundant following the launch of its most recent title, Distant Kingdoms, in May this year.

Orthrus founder Oliver V. Smith broke the news in a post on Linkedin, and explained that even though the team worked tirelessly on Distant Kingdoms, "sometimes the work and a good project just aren't enough."

According to the Orthrus website, the Scottish studio comprised 10 employees including Smith himself, all of whom have now been laid off. The company was established in 2017 and worked on three projects including The Legacy, Swipe: The Big Data Show, and Distant Kingdoms. 

"I am incredibly grateful to the people who helped make this 4.5 year dream a reality, and my colleagues are all incredibly talented people, some of whom I firmly believe are the next great minds of game development," continued Smith. 

"It’s been a very difficult few days, but when I look back on things, I’m very proud of what we accomplished, releasing a complex genre blending city builder game like Distant Kingdoms was hard work but also incredibly rewarding to see players enjoying it."