Former Xbox console exclusive, Ori and the Blind Forest, saved Moon Studios from bankruptcy

Former Xbox console exclusive Ori and the Blind Forest looks to have saved Moon Studios from bankruptcy, according to Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler. The 2D platformer, which has sold "around 10 million copies" according to Mahler, has since gone on to warrant a sequel and ports to Nintendo Switch and PC in the nine years since its launch.

"If Blind Forest would have flopped back then, we would’ve been bankrupt as a studio," stated Mahler on X (formerly known as Twitter). "But thank god it didn’t - we sold around 10m copies of Ori so far, which probably makes it the most successful Metroidvania series ever made."

It's obviously been a while since Ori and the Blind Forest first came out. The game would be met with critical acclaim and prove itself to be one of the more exciting games in Microsoft's arsenal during the ill-fated Xbox One era. Following this, Moon studios would follow up on this success with the sequel Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Again, a game embraced by general audiences and critics alike.

It's an interesting time for Ori nostalgia from Mahler though, as Moon Studios only recently announced the next leap for the studio with No Rest for the Wicked! Unlike Ori which initially launched on just the Xbox, this game will be headed across multiple platforms.

So what does this 10 million buy? Well, not only has it seemingly allowed Moon Studios to continue making games almost a decade later, but Thomas Mahler was able to snatch himself a Neo Geo and a copy of Metal Slug 3. That's like, a Rolex for nerds, trust me.

If you managed to found a successful indie studio, what would you spend your hard-earned money on? Let us know below. Bear in mind that Moon Studios is Australian, so a VB Long Neck is an acceptable answer.