Over the weekend, fans of BlazBlue creator Toshimichi Mori noticed that the official webpage of his new game studio, Studio Flare, became unavailable, displaying a “this account was suspended” message. This prompted many to question the status of the company, given that Studio Flare’s last formal update on X had been around the start of 2024.
Thankfully, Mori is quite active on his personal account, and was able to address the issue quickly, explaining that the webpage’s downtime was simply the result of an oversight by the studio.
Post translation:
Mori here. The situation is still ongoing, but due to various circumstances and handover processes, I made an oversight. The official studio webpage is now back online. I sincerely apologize for any concern this may have caused.
Studio Flare remains operational, so I kindly ask for your continued support. I’ll do my best!!
Post translation:
My previous post was worded awkwardly. My apologies, I shall correct it. Our official website (https://studioflare.jp) was temporarily unavailable but has now been restored. This was due to our oversight. We sincerely apologize for any concern caused. Studio Flare continues its activities as normal, and we look forward to your continued support!
Established in 2022, shortly after Mori’s departure from Arc System Works, Studio Flare was created to bring together like-minded individuals “to make good games.” At the time, Mori told AUTOMATON West that his goal was to set aside money-making to pursue his idea of what makes an entertaining game, without being swayed by popular opinion.
Despite showcasing three concept images of an upcoming project in 2024, Studio Flare hasn’t really delivered much news about what it’s working on. The lack of communication, as well as the fact that Studio Flare was established through funding by NetEase Games (which was rumored to be backing out of several Japan-based investments) is likely why fans were worried when the webpage went down a few days ago. Coincidentally, the closure of NetEase Games-owned Ouka Studios (the developer of 2024’s Visions of Mana) became publicly known a couple of months after its official website went down, which likely fueled concern.
Fortunately, it seems that the company is still quietly cooking. With any luck, hopefully we’ll get to see just what it is the developers are working on soon.
