Rami Ismail sells remaining shares of Vlambeer

Rami Ismail has sold his remaining share of studio Vlambeer to co-founder Jan Willem Nijman.

Sharing the news in a blog post, Ismail explained that he still owned 50% of the developer but that the pair decided it was better for the studio to be owned by only one of them.

"After discussing what that means and who should be that one, I have decided to let Nijman buy out my share of Vlambeer," he wrote. "Nijman's current work still closely aligns with the aesthetics of the studio, and his continued focus on small games continues to fit the brand.

"His ability to take decisions without having to align times and schedules with a second part will allow Vlambeer a better future. I am hopeful that this new situation gives Vlambeer a more sustainable future – even if that ends up being simply a continued hibernation."

The Dutch developer's final game, Ultrabugs, is still planned for release, as Nijman confirmed on social media following Ismail's decision.

"After my current unannounced project is done, I will make sure Vlambeer's long-anticipated Ultrabugs gets released," Nijman wrote in a thread, adding that an update to Ridiculous Fishing EX is also in the works.

"I want to preserve the classic Vlambeer games, and make sure they get the maintenance they need to stay playable far into the future," he added.

Ismail and Nijman shut the studio down in 2020, but continued to provide customer support and maintenance to its released titles.

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A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Rami Ismail sold 50% of his shares instead of his share of the company, which was 50%. The story has been corrected after publication.