Despite the Success of "The Ants," Studio Tower Five Forced to Shut Down - Players For Life | Gaming News, Reviews & Creative Media Hub

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Financial difficulties led to the closure of Tower Five, despite the success and critical acclaim of their game, The Ants.
Tower Five was working on a free-to-play sci-fi shooter called Loaders, which had reached the playtesting phase, but was unable to secure necessary funding for continued development.
Renaud Charpentier, cofounder and game director of Tower Five, expressed gratitude towards their teams talent and hard work in delivering a visually impressive game, mastering Unreal Engine, crafting one of the best strategy games on consoles, and receiving an Ivor Novello Award nomination for sound direction.
Charpentier expressed optimism about future opportunities despite the studios closure, suggesting that they may cross paths again in the future.

Financial Woes Force Closure of Tower Five, Despite ‘The Ants’ Success and Promising Loaders Project

Renaud Charpentier, cofounder and game director for The Ants, announced on LinkedIn that French game studio Tower Five has closed due to financial difficulties, despite the critical acclaim of The Ants, released in November 2024. Before its closure, Tower Five was developing Loaders, a free-to-play sci-fi shooter featuring tank battles and team play for ten players. The game had reached the playtesting phase, indicating it was well into development. Tower Five closed despite the success of The Ants (Les Fourmis), which won the Visual Excellence Award at the previous year’s Pégases ceremony and represented Microids’ first major hit. Even a significant 2025 update like “Swarm Together,” which added co-op mode and new content, could not ensure the studio’s continued operation. Charpentier announced on LinkedIn that playtesting for Loaders would cease, along with all Tower Five activities, because they could not secure the necessary funding. Charpentier used his LinkedIn post not only to announce the closure but also to highlight the talent of his team:

Tower Five Bids Farewell with Gratitude and Anticipation for Future Encounters

> After eight amazing years—starting from scratch, navigating through Covid, and hitting big with Empire of the Ants (Les Fourmis), plus starting Loaders—we’ve gotta wrap up this chapter. Right now, our top priority’s helping the incredible team that made it all happen. If you’re after talented, hardworking devs, these folks are your crew. They delivered one heck of a visually impressive game, mastered Unreal Engine like pros, crafted one of the best strategy games on consoles, and even got an Ivor Novello Award nomination for sound direction. Every member of Tower Five deserves a look, no matter what role you’re hiring for. Give em a shout. > > Cheers for all the love and kind words, it really means a ton. It was an absolute blast meeting you all, collaborating with some of ya, and making amazing memories and awesome achievements together. The world’s big, but this gaming industry’s tiny. Bet we’ll bump into each other again… somewhere unexpected for sure. Charpentier’s message expresses gratitude for the support received during Tower Five’s eight-year run and suggests optimism about future opportunities despite the studio’s closure.

In Case You Missed It

After diving into the intricate world of “Les Fourmis,” you might be curious about the behind-the-scenes magic that brought this stunning real-time strategy game to life. In his insightful article, “The Ants: Microids Unveils the Manufacturing Secrets of the Game into Fontainebleau Forest” (published April 18, 2025), author Bruno Pferd takes us on a journey through the detailed making-of video that reveals how Tower Five and Microids combined photogrammetry with Unreal Engine 5 to faithfully recreate the Fontainebleau forest. Don’t miss out on this fascinating look into the creation of one of last year’s most critically acclaimed games – check it out here The Ants: Microids Unveils the Manufacturing Secrets of the Game, into Fontainebleau Forest. In case you missed it, Carlos Mendoza has just dropped a comprehensive guide on the latest happenings in “Anno 1800” with his July 17th post, “Ants: Big Update to Highlight Multiplayer Co-op”. Published just last month, this insightful piece explores Tower Five studio’s significant updates to the game’s cooperative modes. Don’t miss out on the new challenges and replayability boosts; read all about it here Ants: Big Update to Highlight Multiplayer Co-op. Speaking of French gaming excellence, have you heard about the latest Pégases ceremony? In an exciting turn of events, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown walked away with four wins, including Best Video Game, at this year’s event. Held on March 7, 2025, by Bruno Pferd, the ceremony was a true celebration of French creativity in gaming, with other notable winners like Caravan SandWitch and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Check out the full list and more details from this remarkable night here Pégases 2025: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Triumphs, Here Are the Other Winners.