Scottish Indie Publisher Firestoke Shuts Down After Four-Year Run

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Edinburgh-based indie games publisher Firestoke is officially closing down after four years in the industry.

The news was shared by CEO and founder Paul Farley in a candid LinkedIn post on August 6, marking the end of the studio behind games like Falling Out, Bish Bash Bots, Hauntii, and It’s Only Money.

Despite being close to turning a profit, Firestoke has been forced to wind down operations after struggling to secure the necessary funding to stay afloat. Farley explained that while the company was “on the path towards profitability,” the current fundraising landscape proved to be too much of a challenge. “In lieu of a hit game, unfortunately there wasn’t any way to continue the journey,” he wrote.

Currently, Firestoke is finding new publisher for its existing portfolio and as per Farley, those discussions are “progressing well.”

The closure of Firestoke adds to a growing list of indie publishers that have faced tough decisions in recent years. As per reports by Game Developer, other names like Merge Games also shut down in 2024, and Humble Games went through a restructuring phase.