Possibility Space, a gaming studio founded by industry veteran Jeff Strain, shut down abruptly on April 12, according to former employees, who are now looking for jobs on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. 

The studio's closure was triggered by a sequence of events involving leaked information reportedly provided by its employees to a game journalist.

Internal Leak Sparks Studio Closure

Just a week before the closure, Strain received an email from Kotaku reporter Ethan Gach seeking details about the studio's upcoming game and its publisher for an article. The email also referred to the recent closure of another studio under Strain's ownership. 

This communication triggered a chain of events that ultimately led to the studio's demise.

In a letter obtained by Polygon's Nicole Carpenter, which she shared on X, Strain expressed his disappointment at discovering that confidential details about their major project, codenamed "Project Vonnegut," had been shared with the press by internal sources. 

"As a result of the cancellation of the publishing relationship and after careful consideration, I am closing Possibility Space," the CEO stated in the letter addressed to employees. "Today is your last day of employment at Possibility Space and Prytania Media."

This breach of trust led to a crucial meeting with the game's publisher, during which it was decided to cancel the project due to a lack of confidence in further investment.

Carpenter noted that the mentioned article has not been published yet.

"Leaks of this nature are typically malicious and done by outside hacking, so to see internal team members under a confidentiality agreement engage in this was shocking," Strain wrote in the statement.

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Employees Lament Sudden Possibility Space Closure

The unexpected closure shocked employees, prompting many to vent their sudden job loss frustrations on social media.

"Possibility Space was closed this morning without notice," Russell Petersen, an ex-employee of the Indie game studio, wrote in his LinkedIn post. "I have a lot of thoughts about this that I'll try to form into something cohesive later, but I am open for new work effective immediately."

"Hey it's my turn now! In a nice surprise morning email Possibility Space as a whole just got shut down so as of now I'm available talent. If anyone knows a Mod - Senior environment position lemme know," Matt Graczyk, former artist at the company, also posted on X.

"I was the first non-founder programmer hired at Possibility Space, and I was unceremoniously laid off yesterday with no warning," another former employee, Charles Randall, lamented on X. "I've got 25 years experience in games, and am looking for full remote work."

Possibility Space's closure comes on the heels of another studio owned by Strain, Crop Circle Games, shutting down last month. 

Annie Delisi Strain, co-founder of Prytania Media alongside Strain, attributed Crop Circle Games' closure to economic challenges and revealed her battle with multiple sclerosis in a statement addressing the situation.

The gaming industry has seen its share of studio closures and layoffs, but Possibility Space's case stands out due to the controversy surrounding leaked information and the subsequent fallout with its publisher.

Strain's departure from the gaming industry, as indicated in his letter, marks the end of an era for Possibility Space and adds to the ongoing narrative of challenges faced by game developers and studios in the ever-evolving landscape of interactive entertainment.

Possibility Space was founded in 2021 by Jeff Strain and a team of game and media industry veterans with a vision of creating a high-profile game title.

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