By Sagar V. Mankar 
Sweet Bandits Studios, the developer behind the multiplayer espionage game Deceive Inc., has announced its closure. Co-founder and lead designer, Philippe Pelletier Baribault, shared the news in a heartfelt post on the game’s official forum. He revealed that the studio had reached its “breaking point” after facing numerous challenges to make Deceive Inc. a success.
“There is no easy way to say this: The Sweet Bandits team is no more,” wrote Baribault. He expressed gratitude to the game’s community for their support and added that the studio had exhausted its resources trying to help the game thrive. Despite the closure, Baribault assured players that the game’s future remains a priority, stating, “The path ahead is currently being charted by our partners at Tripwire Interactive. We are considering options with the goal of maintaining the game that we all love.”
Tripwire Interactive, which served as the publisher for Deceive Inc. when it launched in March 2023, will now oversee the game’s operations. For now, the servers and game access will continue as usual, with further updates to be shared in the future.
Sweet Bandits Studios was established in 2016 and released its debut title, Coffence, in 2018. Unfortunately, the studio’s closure comes amid a wave of recent layoffs and shutdowns in the gaming industry, affecting companies like Ubisoft, Embracer, and Microsoft.
For more details, visit Tripwire Interactive’s website.