NetEase has ceased funding for Mac Walters' new studio, just one year after its founding.

Mac Walters, the former Mass Effect creative director and lead writer, has been forced to "pause" operations at Worlds Untold just one year after its founding.

Walters, in a LinkedIn message, said: "It is hard to find the words to describe this. But I wanted to share with you that we have made the difficult decision to pause Worlds Untold operations while we search for a partner to help us bring our vision to reality." "This wasn't a decision that we made lightly. It's been a deep personal journey, and we are all so proud of what this team has created together."

Walters said that a "pause" is temporary and that "there's still more to come." We look forward to sharing with you the next chapter when the time is appropriate. Walters also said that employees at the studio would be "exploring new opportunities," suggesting any sort of return is a distant fantasy.

Worlds Untold, a NetEase Games Studio, was announced in 2023. Walters, a 19-year veteran of BioWare, served as the lead writer for Mass Effect 2 and 3. He also served as creative director for Mass Effect: Andromeda and production director for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The studio's first project was never revealed, but the website states that it is "developing triple A action-adventure video games with an accent on narrative and worldbuilding."

In a statement to Eurogamer NetEase stated that the decision to stop funding Worlds Untold had been "incredibly difficult."

A spokesperson said, "This decision was not taken lightly as we were consistently inspired by the team's unwavering commitment and bold vision behind their project." "Although the current market conditions have forced us to reassess our opportunities and prioritize them, we are actively working with the studio to explore possible next steps and to provide support during this change."

This is a sad outcome, but it's not out of line with the state of the videogames industry in general, which has seen layoffs and closings over the past two year. This particular closure - or "pause" although it sounds like it is not a small bump on the road - is unusual because it comes only a year after Worlds Untold's announcement. It's a sudden and abrupt change of direction. Most of the cuts that we've seen in the past two years were due to grossly bad decisions made during the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic, but this can't be the case. It seems that NetEase has gotten cold feet.

I've contacted NetEase to ask for a comment. I will update this post if I get a response.