By Sagar V. Mankar 
Reflector Entertainment, the developer behind Unknown 9: Awakening, has announced layoffs following the game’s underperformance. CEO Hervé Hoerdt shared the news in a detailed LinkedIn statement, citing the game’s “failure” as the primary reason for the difficult decision.
Released on October 18, 2024, for PC and modern consoles, Unknown 9: Awakening aimed to introduce players to an expansive new transmedia universe. The game was praised for its intriguing world-building and Anya Chalotra’s portrayal of the protagonist, Haroona. However, critics and players highlighted significant flaws in its combat mechanics, technical performance, and overall execution. IGN rated it 4.6/10, calling it a “bland and janky adventure,” while GamesRadar+ appreciated the protagonist’s charm but criticized the lack of polish. The game’s Metascore of 59 reflects its mixed reception, with many reviewers noting its potential but lamenting its failure to deliver a cohesive experience.
Player reception on Steam was equally mixed [or worse]. While some enjoyed the world-building and lore, others were frustrated by the game’s technical issues and subpar combat. The game’s highest peak on Steam was only 285 concurrent players on launch day—three times lower than Sony’s flop Concord. Within a week, it lost over 50% of its players and has since then struggled to exceed even 100 daily active users. Many reviewers, including those who received the game for free, expressed disappointment. One Steam reviewer sarcastically thanked AMD for “bringing PS2 graphics into the PC community” and criticized its poor optimization. Another reviewer lamented, “I got this game for free and still want a refund for the time I wasted.”
The game’s poor performance is a significant setback for Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco, who had ambitious plans to create a sprawling transmedia franchise [like Sony wanted to do with Concord]. Beyond the game, the Unknown 9 universe included novels, comics, and a podcast. Bandai Namco had marketed the project as an “ever-expanding landscape” where interconnected stories would form a larger narrative across multiple platforms. Unfortunately, Unknown 9: Awakening failed to deliver a strong foundation for this vision.
Some industry insiders have also pointed to the involvement of Sweet Baby Inc., a narrative consulting firm, as a potential factor in the game’s struggles [The Shorty Awards revealed the company’s involvement]. However, most critics agree that the core issue lies in the game’s weak gameplay mechanics and lack of refinement.
For now, Hoerdt explained that the studio chose not to greenlight any new project that was still in its conceptual phase, stating that continuing development would not have been financially sustainable.
The layoffs will affect not only development teams but also back-office staff, as the studio shifts to a “single project approach.” Hoerdt mentioned that some employees will transition to work on an upcoming project based on an “existing Bandai Namco IP,” which is reportedly progressing well.
Sources:Insider Gaming