Cliff Bleszinski Blames Ego and Publishing Missteps for LawBreakers’ Shutdown

Cliff Bleszinski, the creator behind Gears of War, has shared new thoughts on why LawBreakers—his 2017 FPS venture with Boss Key Productions—failed commercially and was shut down just one year after launch. In a recent interview, he pointed to a mix of creative control, publishing incentives, timing, and personal struggles that, in his view, added up to a “death by 1,000 paper cuts” outcome.

Background

LawBreakers launched in 2017 as a competitive shooter that many players viewed positively. Despite that reception, it did not achieve commercial success. Boss Key Productions ended support and shut the game down in 2018, only a year after release. Since then, speculation has circulated about what went wrong, including from Bleszinski himself.

What Bleszinski says went wrong

1. Bleszinski said he could have worked with Rod Fergusson—whom he collaborated with on Gears of War—but chose to keep development centered on his own vision. He described that decision as ego taking hold, saying he believed people would show up because of his personal brand.
2. He argued that the publishing arrangement with Nexon had misaligned priorities. While Boss Key retained the rights to its intellectual property, Bleszinski said the deal favored one side so strongly that the publisher had little incentive to push the game as a major long-term success.
3. He described the overall failure as incremental harm rather than one single catastrophe, summarizing it as “death by 1,000 paper cuts.”
4. Bleszinski said the game’s art style may not have been distinctive enough to stand out in a crowded market.
5. He suggested that an earlier Xbox release could have helped bring in more players, particularly fans who were familiar with Gears of War.
6. He also cited personal factors, saying his alcoholism played a role in the situation.
7. Finally, he felt less involved than a lead should be during development, including times when he went home while others stayed late.

Where he goes next

Despite pointing to multiple reasons LawBreakers didn’t land, Bleszinski said he still has the drive to make games again. He emphasized a desire to build characters and worlds—aiming for creations that fans would want to celebrate so deeply they’d cosplay them or even get tattoos.

He also indicated he is unlikely to return to the exact kind of PvP-focused approach from his last efforts, noting that anyone attempting to compete in that space should expect tough odds.