Yacht Club Games, the developer best known for the beloved Shovel Knight, may be in trouble, according to a new Bloomberg report (paywalled).
The independent studio is currently working on Mina the Hollower, a 2D action adventure that's always looked great in trailers, but behind the scenes, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows.
According to the report, Yacht Club has had to downsize, cutting its headcount to 15 people during the course of development.
Mina the Hollower was due to release earlier this year, but shortly before its launch date, the studio delayed the game indefinitely, and it's yet to receive a new date.
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The report says it's only in recent weeks that the game has been in a state that means it's playable from start to finish, and going through it has thrown up all sorts of issues that need fixing.
Yacht Club co-founder Sean Velasco describes the situation as "make-or-break", with the studio's future dependent on the new game's sales figures.
The team estimates it needs to sell 200,000 copies to stay in the clear; much less than that and it becomes more complicated.
As mentioned, the game has always shown very well; it's a Game Boy Colour-inspired adventure in which you'll use a variety of abilities and weapons, like a Castlevania-esque whip and burrowing through the ground to navigate certain areas.
Still, regardless of its quality, it needs to do the business for Yacht Club, which is running low on funds and has had to put a 3D project on ice.