Cyan Worlds, creators of the iconic 1990s puzzle adventure Myst, produced a fully playable demo for a new entry called Anglerfish, featuring motion-captured performance by Red Dead Redemption 2 actor Noshir Dalal. Despite positive feedback during pitches to a dozen major publishers at industry conferences, the studio could not secure the $1–$10 million budget needed to complete development, forcing it to shelve the project and lay off half its staff.

The failed pitch reflects a broader crisis in video game funding. The industry traditionally operated across three tiers: massive triple-A productions exceeding $200 million, solo-developer micro-indie projects under $1 million, and a middle market in the $2–$15 million range. That middle tier has largely vanished as publishers have consolidated their strategy, shifting away from mid-budget bets toward either blockbuster gambles or minimal-cost experiments, leaving developers to either drastically reduce scope or close entirely.