By Jon Scarr
Bandai Namco is closing Reflector Entertainment, the Montreal studio behind Unknown 9: Awakening. On November 10th, Bandai Namco Holdings approved plans to dissolve and liquidate the studio after reviewing its future business plans, investment needs, and prospects for profitability.
Quebec news outlet TVA Nouvelles reports that approximately 75 people will lose their jobs. Bandai Namco hasn't provided an employee total in its announcement, and no date has been set for completing the liquidation.
Bandai Namco Expects a $33 Million CAD Loss
Bandai Namco expects a closure-related loss of approximately $33 million CAD, converted from the company's euro estimate using the Bank of Canada's November 10th exchange rate. It expects to record the loss in its financial results for the third quarter of its fiscal year ending March 31st, 2027, or later. The amount and timing could change.
Reflector reported net sales of approximately $14.7 million CAD for the fiscal year ended March 31st, 2026, compared with $47.8 million CAD the year before. Its net assets were negative $89.5 million CAD as of March 31st, 2026.
Reflector's Previous Layoffs and Unfinished Project
Reflector began operating in Montreal in 2016, and Bandai Namco acquired it in 2020. In October 2022, with more than 140 employees, the studio announced it was developing a game based on an existing Bandai Namco franchise.
Reflector released Unknown 9: Awakening on October 18th, 2024, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, and PC. The action-adventure game follows Haroona, portrayed by Anya Chalotra, and was part of a larger Unknown 9 universe that included comics, novels, and podcasts.
On November 18th, 2024, one month after the game launched, Reflector announced it was cutting approximately 18% of its workforce. The studio explained that it couldn't guarantee work for everyone with two projects still in early development. At the time, Reflector said the cuts weren't driven by commercial performance.
More layoffs followed in January 2025. Reflector CEO Hervé Hoerdt acknowledged that Unknown 9: Awakening had fallen far short of expectations, and the studio ended development on an unnamed project that was still in its conceptual phase. Hoerdt said the separate Bandai Namco franchise project would continue with a smaller team. The November 10th closure announcement didn't name that game or say what would happen to it.
Jon Scarr
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