Subsidiary studios of publisher Nacon, including GreedFall: The Dying World developer Spiders, have filed for insolvency this week amid unpaid bills. French video game union Syndicat des Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo blames Nacon's management for mismanagement and sabotaging viable teams. The crisis follows recent game launches and Nacon's own debt proceedings.
Spiders, Kylotonn, and Cyanide, all under Nacon, filed for insolvency proceedings in France this week after failing to meet financial obligations. This development comes shortly after Nacon initiated its own debt-restructuring process in French courts several weeks prior. Spiders released GreedFall: The Dying World out of Steam Early Access less than two weeks ago, receiving lackluster user reviews. Cyanide launched Styx: Blades of Greed this month, while Kylotonn, known for the WRC racing series, has been inactive recently. The original GreedFall, published by Focus Entertainment, far outperformed its sequel in Steam user reviews, with the new title garnering less than 10 percent as many. Syndicat des Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) issued a statement this week holding Nacon executives responsible. The union stated that management showed 'disdain for video game production and their incompetence actively sabotaged studios which were viable until their acquisition.' It criticized years of mismanagement, including emptying studio coffers of dozens of millions of euros, canceling recruitments and raises for over a year, and imposing 'AI' solutions without clear purpose. STJV also highlighted deteriorating working conditions and the creation of new studios to undermine existing ones, leading to high turnover and talent loss. Spiders developers have clashed with management for years, previously threatening a strike over rushed Early Access for GreedFall: The Dying World and shifting budgets and timelines. The union demands removal of the executive team, improved working conditions, modern tools, reduced turnover, and a clear creative strategy suited to the 2026 market, where players demand exceptional or niche titles.
