Versus Evil, the indie gaming publisher behind The Banner Saga, has officially shuttered its doors after laying off all of its staff. The 13 members of the Versus Evil team were let go days before Christmas, and are the latest victims of the rampant layoffs of 2023.

Versus Evil was a small publishing company founded in 2013 with a focus on independent studios. It is most well-known for Stoic Studios’ The Banner Saga, though it went on to publish over two dozen other games, including big titles like Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. In 2021, Versus Evil was bought by tinyBuild, another indie game publisher.

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Now, just three days before Christmas, Versus Evil has announced its doors have officially closed. The indie publisher announced the shuttering on its official Twitter account, but former Versus Evil developer Francis Fincke confirmed on Linkedin he and the other 12 publishers were let go right as their Christmas Break was beginning, confirming tinyBuild did not retain any of its staff after the company’s closure.

Major Games Published By Versus Evil

• The Banner Saga 1, 2, and 3
• Dragons and Titans
• Guild of Dungeoneering
• Kyn
• Armikrog
• Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
• Almighty: Kill Your Gods

Steve Escalante, the founder of Versus Evil, left the company about two weeks before its closure. He also commented on his former company's demise on his personal Twitter, saying it will “continue to exist under tinyBuild’s management” in spite of Versus Evil’s statement. However, considering neither he nor the original staff are still there, tinyBuild’s version of the company will only be using the brand. It remains to be seen what will happen with unreleased games that were being published by Versus Evil, but hopefully tinyBuild or one of its studios can ensure these indie games are released without incident.

TinyBuild itself has also seen success recently, with a $2 million investment by gaming giant Atari, and it plans to raise $14 million in new stocks through their partnership. The parent company was not struggling financially, so the reason for these staff members being let go right before the holidays is currently a mystery. At press time, neither tinyBuild nor CEO Alex Nichiporchik has made an official statement on the situation after announcing the Atari deal, so fans of Versus Evil's work should keep an eye out to see if a reason is given for the company's closure over the coming weeks.

The loss of Versus Evil is the latest in a string of layoffs that have plagued 2023. CD Projekt Red, Bungie, BioWare, Epic, Unity, and Embracer Group are just some of the studios that have laid off developers this year. Despite the rampant success of gaming over the course of 2023, it is clear the industry is anything but secure for developers right now.