Jerry Hook made some news a few years ago. If you recall, this developer had been with Microsoft, Bungie, and 343 Industries. Their last work was as the head of design for Halo Infinite. But since then, they have gone on to start up a new studio called Jar of Sparks. Unfortunately, that venture might be in some hot water as Jerry seeks out a new publisher to help bring their debut title to fruition.
We haven’t heard much of anything about this debut title from Jar of Sparks. We knew that this was a new AAA game studio aimed to deliver narrative-driven action titles under NetEase. But thanks to VGC, we’re discovering that production of the first title has been halted. Unveiled through LinkedIn, the post from Jerry unveiled that the studio has halted game production and is actively working to see the staff land at new studios.
“Earlier today, we notified our team that Jar of Sparks will be halting work on our current title as we search for a new publishing partner who can help bring our creative vision to life. Throughout this journey, our passionate, driven, and innovative team took bold risks and pushed boundaries, striving to create something truly new and exciting for the industry. We couldn’t be prouder of the groundwork we’ve laid together.” – Jar of Sparks
However, while the studio looks to see new employment for its staff, this doesn’t mean the project they’ve slowly been chipping away at is being killed off. Instead, it looks like Jerry is seeking out a publisher to bring this game to fruition. So, we’re still in a bit of a mystery right now as to what the future might hold for Jar of Sparks.
If the studio manages to secure a new publisher that will fund the project, we might see it pick up where it left off. Otherwise, a studio might fail to see its debut title land in the marketplace and close up. At any rate, we’ll have to keep tabs on this story for now as we wait for any additional updates from the developer veteran.
