Max Mustard Studio Announces Significant Staff Reductions and Office Closure, Commits to Advancing XR Game Development

Toast Interactive, the creative force behind the memorable VR titles Richie’s Plank Experience (2017) and Max Mustard (2024), has announced the difficult decision to shutter its office and lay off most of its staff. This Gold Coast-based studio, in sharing the unfortunate news on their social media platform X, expressed heartfelt regret over the redundancies impacting their talented team.

The company had previously navigated a round of layoffs in November 2024, which saw 10 employees parting ways with the studio. Even though Max Mustard stood as one of the top-rated games on PSVR 2 and Meta Quest, it wasn’t enough to keep a large indie team going financially, the studio had expressed at the time.

As of now, the exact number of employees affected by the latest rounds isn’t clear. However, Toast Interactive reassures fans and followers that it’s not shutting down completely. A core team will persist, focusing on enhancing both Richie’s Plank Experience and Max Mustard through a more streamlined effort.

The journey of Toast Interactive began in 2016, founded by the dynamic duo Toni and Richard Eastes. Their groundbreaking work kicked off with Richie’s Plank Experience, a thrilling VR escapade that captivated users with its unique blend of physical and virtual reality, letting them balance on a plank high above the ground.

Initially crafted for HTC Vive, Richie’s Plank Experience later expanded to Rift, Quest, and the original PSVR, and there are ongoing plans for a PSVR 2 version. Fast forward to 2024, their next venture, Max Mustard, emerged as a beloved VR platformer that struck a chord with players, reminiscent of Sony Japan Studio’s acclaimed Astro Bot Rescue Mission. The title launched on Quest 2 and subsequently reached SteamVR and PSVR 2 headsets.

This shake-up at Toast Interactive is part of a wider trend of instability in the XR gaming industry, which began experiencing significant disruptions in early 2024. This included prominent closures like Meta’s Ready at Dawn and Sony’s London Studio, as well as Archiact, known for the DOOM 3 Quest port.

In recent months, several other XR studios have resorted to downsizing as well. Notable names like VRChat, Fast Travel Games, Soul Assembly, XR Games, and nDreams have all had to make difficult staffing decisions.

In their post, the founding pair Toni and Richard Eastes took a heartfelt moment to communicate with their VR community. “We are closing the Toast Interactive office,” they began, acknowledging the heartbreak of this step and expressing their gratitude for the team’s passionate contributions. They reassured their dedication to continuing the legacy of their hallmark games with a more focused team. The message concluded with sincere thanks to everyone who has been part of their journey.