Studio Thunderhorse Shutters Operations, Leaving Ronin Rush in Limbo

Indie game developer “Studio Thunderhorse” has announced it will be closing its doors after nearly ten years in the gaming industry.

The three-person team, based in California, shared a heartfelt message on the social platform X, explaining that the decision was made to support the “long-term health of the team and the studio.”

Founded by Simon Filip in 2015, Studio Thunderhorse quickly became known for creating “2D games with a retro style inspired by the 1990s.” Their first two titles released the same year the studio was founded, were mobile games: Samurai Blitz and Raccoon Rascals.

Following the success of these mobile games, Thunderhorse expanded into PC game development, and in 2021, they released Flynn: Son of Crimson, a colorful RPG funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign. This game helped build their reputation within the indie gaming community.

Most recently, Thunderhorse had been working on a new game called Ronin Rush, a console-based follow-up to Samurai Blitz. The game was intended to feature retro-inspired graphics and engaging gameplay, continuing the studio’s tradition of blending nostalgia with fresh game mechanics. However, with the studio’s closure, the future of Ronin Rush remains uncertain, leaving fans unsure if they will ever see the final product.

In their official statement, Studio Thunderhorse expressed deep gratitude to their community and fans, stating,

“After more than a decade of developing games and being part of this incredible community, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to close Studio Thunderhorse.”

The team added that, despite their dedication, they encountered significant challenges and development setbacks that made stepping back the best decision for everyone involved.

The announcement comes amid a challenging period for the gaming industry as a whole. In recent years, both large AAA studios and smaller indie developers have faced layoffs, studio closures, game cancellations, and other setbacks.

Earlier this week, Netflix reportedly shut down its AAA gaming studio, known as “Team Blue.”