The Witcher: Monster Slayer is shutting down next June

Layoffs will happen at the studio as well

Mobile augmented reality (AR) game The Witcher: Monster Slayer is closing its doors next year. Developer Spokko is shutting down, with services fully ending next June.

The studio plans to gradually shutter its services over the coming months, as detailed in a new FAQ. The Witcher: Monster Slayer will first be taken down from the Google Play and Apple App Store on January 31, 2023, and all in-game purchases will be turned off at this time too.

Spokko also plans no more new content after the 31st as well. Players will still be able to play and exchange in-game currencies for items up until Monster Slayer‘s closure. Then, on June 30, 2023, the servers will be shut down.

The team also made a statement, thanking fans for sharing in the Monster Slayer journey.

“We are proud that we were able to create a location-based AR experience that captured what it was like to be a witcher in real life and gave the community a chance to battle Witcher-world monsters up close and in person,” the statement reads. “This is what made The Witcher: Monster Slayer such a unique experience in The Witcher franchise.”

Something ends, something begins

According to Spokko’s statement, Monster Slayer did not reach its business expectations. Spokko will be rolled into CD Projekt Red, with part of its staff given the chance to join core CD Projket Red projects. However, there will be some staff let go.

While Monster Slayer was a bit strange, as a Pokemon GO approach to the world of The Witcher, it’s still a shame to see the project’s closure result in departures. CD Projekt seems to be broadly shifting its focus towards other areas, resulting in the winding down of several of its spinoff titles.