Offensive Combat studio closes a year after launching its shooter on Facebook and mobile

The studio that made the South Park of Facebook shooters is no more.

U4iA Games has closed its doors. The developer released one free-to-play game for browsers and mobile, and it employed around 26 people.

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“It is with a heavy heart that we write this, but tomorrow, Jan. 15, will be the last day of operations for U4iA Games,” creative director Jeremy Dunham wrote on the studio’s website. “Our sincere apologies to all of our fantastic, supportive fans over these last few years — we wish we could have done better for you. Thank you very much for your support, and we hope to see you again on the other side.”

On Twitter, Dunham suggested that the shutdown came suddenly and unexpectedly.

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So, we found out in the blink of an eye that @U4iaGames was shutting down today. Huge shout-out to my co-workers. Great people.

— Jeremy Dunham (@DunhamSmash) January 15, 2014

Last January, the studio released Offensive Combat on Facebook and mobile. The shooter has players taking control of soldiers, giant lizards, and men in banana suits in a deathmatch mulitplayer setting. The company tried to set its game apart by including crass humor similar to television shows like The League and South Park.

Our review found the game funny and fun to play, but it also found some issues with Offensive Combat’s payment model for items.

Offensive Combat is still up and running on Facebook. While it won’t see any further support from U4iA, we’ve reached out to ask how long the game will remain online. We’ll update this post with any further information.

U4iA founders Dusty Welch and Chris Archer started the development company in 2011 after leaving Activision. We’ve also reached out to them to ask what led to the closure.