Bethesda Opens New Studio As Prey Dev Closes Its Doors

Bethesda has announced the closure of Human Head studios, alongside the opening of a new studio composed of some of its key staff members. The new developer is called Roundhouse Studios and will operate out of Madison, Wisconsin. Bethesda says it will immediately begin work on unannounced projects.

"Sadly, we had to wind down the business of Human Head Studios and close its doors, which was particularly devastating due to the passion and creativity of the team we'd assembled," said Roundhouse creative director Chris Rhinehart, in the announcement. "We reached out to our friends at Bethesda for help, and they saw that same creativity and passion in our team. With the formation of Roundhouse Studios, Bethesda offered every employee of Human Head a position at the new company. We are excited our team will remain together, pursuing the work we love, as part of a company we already know and admire."

Todd Vaughn, senior VP of development at Bethesda, said the company is "excited by the opportunity to bring under the Bethesda umbrella this talented, established development team."

This announcement was made in conjunction with an update from Human Head announcing the closure. Rune 2, which recently launched on the Epic Games Store, will be its last game under that studio name.

"We want to thank all of you for your incredible support over the last 22 years," the update reads. "Your passion and excitement for games is what has driven and motivated us for many, many years. We’re really excited for what the future holds for us and look forward to you joining us on this new adventure."

Human Head was founded in 1997 and also operated out of Madison. It's known for its work on Prey, BioShock Infinite, and The Quiet Man.