GRIN Shuts Its Doors

Between the rumors of layoffs and the launching of a new studio comprised of ex-GRINners, the official word that Swedish studio GRIN has closed its doors doesn't feel like much of a surprise. Hearing about the sales figures for games like Bionic Commando, Wanted: Weapons of Fate, and Terminator: Salvation certainly didn't help either.

The word comes via a message on the company's official site, attributed to Bo and Ulf Andersson, the brothers that founded the company.

Here's part of what they had to say:

It is with a heavy heart we announce today that GRIN has been forced to close its doors. This as too many publishers have been delaying their payments, causing an unbearable cashflow situation.

After twelve years of hard work, employing hundreds of wonderfully talented men and women, it is over. It has been a great adventure and the GRIN family has experienced what few have. 

Looking back at twelve years of games, titles such as Ballistics, Bandits, GRAW 1 & 2, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Wanted: Weapons of Fate, Terminator: Salvation, Bionic Commando and our unreleased masterpiece that we weren’t allowed to finish; it has been a great ride. 

So far, GRIN is survived by Outbreak Studios, a new company founded by Peter Björklund, formerly of GRIN and DICE. Also, there's Fatshark's Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West, a third-person shooter with a team-based multiplayer focus. L&G is is being built on GRIN's Diesel Engine. This is the same engine used on Bionic Commando, BC: Rearmed, and the PC version of GRAW.

So we're pouring out some Turkish Peber and Djungelvrål over here for GRIN... also because Turkish Peber and Djungelvrål both taste like spraying ant poison directly into your mouth and shouldn't be eaten by anyone, ever. While I take care of that, if you're interested in hearing more about the company, we've had GRIN on the podcast a couple of times.