Gang of Dragon at Risk After Nagoshi Studios Loses Key Developers, Including Toshihiro Nagoshi

Over the past few months, we've been hearing troubling news about Gang of Dragons, the debut game from Nagoshi Studios led by the legendary Toshihiro Nagoshi. The issue is that NetEase, the parent company of the studio, reportedly stopped funding the project, which seems to be leading to its inevitable cancellation—and now there's fresh evidence supporting this.

In particular, as noted by Automation, Toshihiro Nagoshi recently gave an interview to Famitsu to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Japanese magazine. Their new report mentioned 52 different projects, but there was no mention of Nagoshi Studios in relation to Toshihiro Nagoshi. This has sparked further speculation about the studio’s closure and the cancellation of Gang of Dragon.

52 Game Creators Share Their Thoughts on the Past 40 Years and Their Vision for the Future

This 40th Anniversary Special features contributions from creators discussing their motivations for becoming creators, memorable works, memories of Famitsu, future prospects, and messages to creators currently active in the industry!

Furthermore, according to a new report from Game*Spark, Daisuke Sato has also left the studio; his X profile now lists him as "ex-Nagoshi Studio, Inc." In addition, the source notes that at least seven employees had left Nagoshi Studios by May 31 of this year. All of this, undoubtedly, does little to reassure the fans.

Last month, it was also revealed that Nagoshi Studios had closed their Tokyo office. Before that, the studio's YouTube channel was taken down, and their website stopped functioning. However, there has been no official statement regarding the closure of Nagoshi Studios or the cancellation of Gang of Dragon. Still, when all the pieces are put together, it seems inevitable.

Are you disappointed that Nagoshi Studios might be shut down and Gang of Dragon might be cancelled? Share your thoughts in the comments below!