GamesBeat reported on January 24, 2020, that Disney would close Fogbank Entertainment, its San Francisco studio under FoxNext, with about 60 layoffs estimated. The report did not give an exact affected-worker count, and Disney declined to comment. Fogbank was not included in Disney’s sale of most FoxNext Games to Scopely.
What GamesBeat reported about the closure
Dean Takahashi’s GamesBeat report said Disney was closing Fogbank Entertainment, a San Francisco game studio operating under FoxNext. It estimated that about 60 employees would be affected, while noting the reporter did not have an exact count. Disney declined to comment, so the closure details and job estimate should be understood as GamesBeat’s reporting, not a published Disney announcement. GamesBeat’s report was published January 24, 2020, and updated June 18, 2025.
The story did not provide severance details or a definitive explanation for the decision. It connected the news to Disney’s move to focus on licensing Disney and Fox properties to outside game companies, but that context is not an official stated rationale for closing Fogbank.
Was Fogbank included in the Scopely sale?
No. Disney had sold most of FoxNext Games to mobile publisher Scopely shortly before the closure report, but Fogbank was excluded from that purchase. The distinction matters: the report described the sale of most FoxNext Games and the planned closure of Fogbank as separate developments. GamesBeat also reported that Disney acquired FoxNext Games as part of its acquisition of Fox for $71 billion in March 2019. GamesBeat’s account of the Scopely sale covered the transaction.
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What Fogbank made
Fogbank’s first shipped game was Storyscape, a choice-driven narrative game in which players made consequential story decisions. GamesBeat reported that Sensor Tower had counted about 1.7 million downloads since the game’s debut. That is a historical download estimate cited in the 2020 report, not a current figure for availability, active players, or ongoing downloads. GamesBeat’s Storyscape coverage described the game at launch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Fogbank developed
FoxNext Games launched Fogbank in March 2018. GamesBeat identified studio director Daniel Erickson and executive producer Nathan Germick as its leaders. The studio began with about 20 industry veterans and planned to grow to about 40; Erickson left in October 2019. Those earlier figures describe the studio’s initial staffing and growth plan, not its final headcount or the number of jobs affected by the later reported closure. GamesBeat’s report on Fogbank’s launch covered its formation.
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