Echtra Games Closed by Zynga | PC Games Insider

Sure, let’s give this a whirl:

—

So, the scoop is that Torchlight 3’s creator, Echtra Games, just got the boot from Zynga. No, seriously. It’s like one of those sudden plot twists nobody asked for.

Anyway, so Zynga—yep, the big guys under Take-Two’s umbrella—decided they’re pulling the plug on San Francisco’s own Echtra Games. Kind of a “resource shuffle”, as they put it. And like, what’s that even mean? Who knows, but it sounds fancy.

Max Schaefer—you know him? The mastermind behind the original Torchlight games—started Echtra after leaving Runic Games back in 2016. Just doing his thing, right? Except, Echtra got scooped up by Perfect World, who dropped Torchlight 3 in 2020.

Fast forward, Zynga snatched up Echtra in 2021. No numbers were tossed around though. Perfect World still hangs onto Torchlight 3 like it’s a golden ticket. Meanwhile, Echtra was juggling an unannounced RPG and dabbling with CSR Racing, plus trying to make sense of Star Wars: Hunters.

So Zynga, in their infinite wisdom, says, “We’re closing Echtra, no more games from you guys.” It’s all about this reshuffling thing I mentioned. Oh, but they’re being super considerate with the folks losing their jobs. Which, I mean, okay, that’s something, I guess?

Ugh, corporate reshuffles, am I right? They always sound like a blend of chaos and polite exits. Feels like the game’s over before it even began.