T-Minus Zero Entertainment Shuts Down Following NetEase Partnership Closure

NetEase has officially closed down T-Minus Zero Entertainment, a studio based in Austin that it launched in August 2023. The shutdown was confirmed by Rich Vogel, the studio's head and co-founder, just days after he announced that the partnership between T-Minus Zero Entertainment and NetEase was coming to an end. Vogel had revealed the end of the partnership on August 26, 2025, in a post on the studio's LinkedIn page, stating that despite the progress made, current market conditions had prevented the studio from securing the necessary funding. NetEase had provided the studio with significant support, including helping to find potential investors and providing the time and budget to develop a fully playable game demo. However, the studio's debut title, a third-person online multiplayer action game based on a new sci-fi IP, will not be moving forward. Vogel expressed his gratitude to NetEase for their support and acknowledged the challenges of developing an online game in the current market. The closure of the studio was confirmed by NetEase, which stated that the decision was made after careful consideration and a reassessment of business priorities.