Another board game developer is scaling back production in response to the volatile global trade environment. CMON, the developer behind works like Massive Darkness, will pause all board game development and crowdfunding projects.
CMON Pausing Board Game Development
In an official blog post, CMON posted a brief three-paragraph statement. The statement explains that the company will be immediately pausing all board game development alongside any crowdfunding projects.
As a result, CMON will be making reductions in creative teams. Though no numbers or specific departments are mentioned, the statement does remark that the employees laid off will be missed professionally and personally.
The reasons given for the tabletop company’s major decision is the recent trade tariffs imposed by the US on Chinese imports.
The industry continues to rapidly evolve, and unpredictable situations like the recent tariffs, or COVID just a few years ago, present challenges for everyone in board games. With that said, it is our responsibility to take these difficult measures to ensure that we can keep current projects on track and deliver them in a timely manner. We will of course resume new development as soon as possible.
The vast majority of board game production happens overseas in China and is then imported back to the US. Due to the trade tariffs, production costs have jumped up exponentially. Since there is no infrastructure to bring the same level of production locally, studios have had to make difficult business decisions in response to this devastating complication to the industry.
CMON is the latest studio to scale down or suspend tabletop game development as a response to the uncertain chaotic trade environment caused by the Trump administration. An environment that has already lead to closures by developer Greater Than Games, online retailer Boardlandia, and a lawsuit by Stonemaier Games.
CMON’s tabletop game development history is packed with beloved entries. Their catalog includes the Zombicide series, A Song of Ice & Fire: Tactics, localizing several Japanese TTRPGs, and officially licensed Metal Gear Solid and Bloodborne board games.
