In a bold statement that resonates with gamers everywhere, legendary game designer and Double Fine founder, Tim Schafer, has responded to Microsoft’s recent decision to divest the studio. His words are a rallying cry for creativity and independence in an industry often dominated by corporate giants.
A Fight for the Future of Double Fine
Speaking with Jason Schreier of Bloomberg in September 2026, Schafer revealed that he had sensed trouble brewing before the official announcement. However, he wasn’t about to let Double Fine fade away without a fight. “You’re like, ‘Wait a second, we’re not going out like this,'” he explained. While some team members chose to move on, Schafer and others saw it as an opportunity for a creative renaissance.
“No one puts Double Fine out of business except for me,” Schafer declared. He acknowledged the challenges ahead but expressed confidence in the studio’s ability to thrive independently. Thankfully, Double Fine was able to retain its intellectual property and become fully independent, although it did have to lay off a quarter of its staff as a result of this change.
A New Chapter for Double Fine
Despite the turmoil, Double Fine is forging ahead. The developer recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for its next project – with a tantalizing addendum: if they reach $100 million, they’ll also make Brutal Legend 2.
“We’ve been through a lot this year,” Schafer told Schreier. “A lot of it is very soul-sucking stuff. Inner conflict, threats of extermination, long negotiations, strenuous hard tradeoffs with lawyers. Tons of demoralizing stuff.” Yet, he emphasized the renewed sense of purpose and creative energy that has emerged from the experience.
“This is the good fight,” Schafer said. “Can we think of a great idea for a game that we can actually do for the right budget, that can get to this publisher who’s interested in these types of games? This kind of problem-solving is soul-enriching. Using creativity to solve problems is what gets us up in the morning. So it is hard, and it is scary and it is stressful, but it’s at least putting some fire back into the bellies of the team and me.”
Xbox’s Restructuring and Future Plans
Microsoft’s decision to divest Double Fine was part of a broader restructuring effort led by CEO Asha Sharma, aimed at improving profitability. This included significant layoffs affecting roughly 1,800 employees. Sharma has been transparent about Xbox’s financial situation and future plans, recently telling the BBC that the next-generation console, Project Helix, will be a “family of devices“, although she remained tight-lipped about whether it will have a disc drive or not.
Keeper Joins the PlayStation Family
In other Double Fine news, the studio has shadow dropped Keeper on PlayStation 5. This move underscores the studio’s newfound independence and its commitment to reaching players across multiple platforms.
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