Bandai Namco to dissolve Unknown 9 studio Reflector

Bandai Namco announced on Tuesday that it is discontinuing, dissolving and liquidating Reflector Entertainment, the studio behind Unknown 9: Awakening, according to polygon.com.

The company said the decision followed a review of future business plans, additional investment and profitability. Reflector will post a loss of €21 million, about $23.49 million, in the third quarter of Bandai Namco's current fiscal year.

Bandai Namco acquired Reflector Entertainment in 2020, when the studio was already developing the Unknown 9 franchise. Reflector released only one game, Unknown 9: Awakening, in 2024; it holds a 59 Metascore on Metacritic.

Unknown 9: Awakening is part of a larger multimedia franchise that includes a novel, a comic book series and a narrative podcast. A month after the game came out, 18% of Reflector's staff were laid off.

In early 2025, more staff were let go and a follow-up project was canceled. Studio CEO Hervé Hoerdt said at the time that the decision correlated directly with the failure of the studio's first project.