Entire development team behind crowdfunded Princess Maker game laid off mid-early access, project to be transferred to external company 

D-ZARD, developer of Princess Maker: Children of Revelation, recently underwent abrupt restructuring and halted all development.

Developed by South Korean game studio D-ZARD under an official license from Gainax, Princess Maker: Children of Revelation is the first new mainline Princess Maker game since 2007. The title launched in early access on Steam in July this year, aiming for full release in the first half of 2026. However, as of recent, development has run into a big setback, with the entire original dev team reportedly being laid off.  

Princess Maker Children of Revelations

According to ThisIsGame, D-ZARD recently underwent major restructuring and halted all projects. The studio, which also develops the online PvP title Asurajang, counted 38 employees in July 2025, but its headcount dropped to just 7 in September. 

On September 25, the official Princess Maker: Children of Revelation Naver blog released a statement and apology, in which it’s confirmed that “all team members have left” and that the project is being transferred to a new external company. They warn about previously announced updates for September and October being delayed, but assure players that the game will be completed. 

An anonymous former D-ZARD employee told ThisIsGame that the restructuring was abrupt, with most employees finding out at the last minute. From the beginning of August, members were called in meetings and laid off one by one. It seems like negotiations about Princess Maker’s transfer to another developer had already progressed a good deal before any announcements were made.  

Princess Maker Children of Revelations

Notably, D-ZARD had crowdfunded about $250k in funding for Princess Maker’s development from 4,837 backers in 2024, surpassing its goal by over 350% (source: Gamevu). Based on the development team’s recent statements, the crowdfunding project (hosted on Tumblbug) will likewise be transferred to the new company taking charge. 

Princess Maker: Children of Revelation is out in early access for PC (Steam). 

Related article: Japanese gacha game developer asks 100 employees to resign voluntarily, only 47 accept  

Amber V
Amber V

Editor-in-Chief since October 2023.

She grew up playing Duke Nukem and Wolfenstein with her dad, and is now enamored with obscure Japanese video games and internet culture. Currently devoted to growing Automaton West to the size of its Japanese sister-site, while making sure to keep news concise and developer stories deep and stimulating.

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