Brendan Greene, creator of PUBG, is downsizing his studio PlayerUnknown Productions and cancelling development of survival roguelike Prologue: Go Wayback. The company will lay off unspecified employees as part of restructuring efforts. The early access version, previously priced at $20, will remain available but become free.

The downsizing responds to development expenses for the studio's in-house terrain-generation engine Melba, which powered Prologue. Greene says the company will continue developing this technology with a smaller team. Melba also serves as a core component for an upcoming multiplayer game called Artemis, though its current status remains unclear.

Players who purchased the early build may qualify for refunds, which Greene says he's "investigating." The cancellation marks a significant shift for Greene, who left PUBG parent company Krafton in 2021 to establish PlayerUnknown Productions. The studio recently released a tech demo showcasing Melba's capabilities with an "Earth-scale world generated in real-time."