No One Can Afford to Make ‘Myst’ Games Anymore

The creators of the iconic 1990s puzzle game Myst have confirmed that their new project, codenamed Anglerfish, has been shelved due to lack of funding. The game, described as a darker chapter in the Myst series, would have placed players in a strange world held captive by a temperamental writer, portrayed through motion capture and voice performance by Noshir Dalal, known for roles in Red Dead Redemption 2 and Horizon Forbidden West. Cyan Worlds, the American independent studio behind Myst and its sequels, developed a fully playable demo over four months and presented it at last year's Game Developers Conference and D.I.C.E. Summit. At the events, Cyan sought between $1 million and $10 million to complete development, leveraging the momentum from its recent remake of Riven: The Sequel to Myst, which earned a D.I.C.E. Award nomination. Despite positive reactions from publishers and strong industry connections—including John Eternal, former PlayStation partner lead—the studio failed to secure financial backing. Eric A. Anderson, creative director at Cyan Worlds, said even publishers who supported the idea could not get approval from higher management. As a result, Cyan laid off half its staff—12 employees—and paused work on Anglerfish indefinitely. Industry observers note a broader trend: mid-budget games, often called double-A titles, are increasingly difficult to fund. While triple-A studios spend over $200 million per title and micro-indies operate under $1 million, the middle ground—projects budgeted between $2 million and $15 million—has seen publisher retreat. Platforms like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation once supported this tier, but most now favor smaller investments.

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