To Infinity No More: Disney Shuts Down Disney Infinity, Closes Avalanche Software

After three games, more than a dozen play sets and about 100 different figures, Disney Infinity is coming to an abrupt end. Disney announced the shuttering of the toys-to-life video game franchise on an earnings call this afternoon, where it also revealed it would exit the console publishing business again. The news came as a bit of a surprise, with Disney citing the lack of growth in the toys-to-life arena coupled with increases in development for the Infinity brand as the root causes.

Disney still plans on releasing the final two previously announced add-ons for Alice: Through the Looking Glass and Finding Dory, but once the Pixar-based play set and figures arrive in June, there will be no more Infinity to look forward to.

Though earlier this spring Disney did announce Infinity would take the year off from another disc release, there was promise of new play sets beyond Alice and Dory. We never learned just what was in store, but given there was both a major Marvel and Star Wars film on the horizon for Q4, Doctor Strange and Rogue One were easy candidates. Disney only just released the Marvel Battlegrounds play set and four new figures to go along with it (and a repainted Spider-Man) in March.

Disney is reporting a $147 million loss in its second quarter financials and will also close Avalanche Software, laying off approximately 300 employees, as a result of the decision. Ninja Theory also aided in development of the most recent Disney Infinity game, but was not part of Disney proper. The resulting issues that may affect that studio remain to be seen. Avalanche Software is the third console development studio Disney has shuttered since 2011, with Black Rock Studio (Spilt/Second) and Junction Point (Epic Mickey) also having been closed down after failing to meet financial expectations.

The mobile market is still a big part of Disney's plans, however the company will now license out its brands (as it already has with Star Wars) to third-party partners with regard to console gaming. EA already has a number of Star Wars games in development, Lego has a hand in Marvel releases, but it will be interesting to see where the company's original film properties go, if they go anywhere at all.

We've reached out to Disney for more details.