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Mobile dev Glow Up Games shuts down after five-year run

'Our mission was to build games and tech which centers and celebrates Black and brown joy, and we were proud of what we were able to achieve.'

Justin Carter, Contributing Editor

December 11, 2024

1 Min Read
Screenshot of Insecure: The Come Up Game.
Image via Glow Up Games.

At a Glance

  • Glow Up is the latest studio to close its doors as industry layoffs and closures continue throughout 2024.

Glow Up Games, the studio behind Insecure: The Come Up Game, is closing down.

Co-founder Mitu Khandaker explained on LinkedIn the studio was "not able to continue weathering the challenges we fought so hard to overcome for all these years." It was founded in 2019, and the game based on the popular HBO show is its sole credit.

"Our mission was to build games & tech which centers and celebrates Black and brown joy, and we were proud of what we were able to achieve," she continued. A similar statement is published on Glow Up's website, which further noted "the impact we were able to have."

"We celebrated so many firsts," Khandaker continued, "such as being the first all-woman of color founded studio in the mobile space to raise over $1 million in equity funding. [...] We're grateful for those who are continuing that important & necessary work."

This marks the latest studio closure as 2024 winds down. Last week, Ubisoft shut down its San Francisco and Osaka-based studios ahead of xDefiant going offline in June 2025. Fellow indie developer Sweet Bandits of Deceive Inc. fame also closed its doors after its staff hit a "breaking point."

Studios have also conducted several layoffs this week: People Can Fly, Deck Nine, and outlets like IGN and GamesIndustry have eliminated roles or spurred employees to take buyouts.

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Layoffs

About the Author

Justin Carter

Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com

A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.

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