Vanpool, dev behind Dillon’s Rolling Western, is shutting down

According to a notice posted on Vanpool’s website, the studio is closing down. The company will be dissolved as of May 31, 2023 – which is today.

Vanpool is perhaps best known for the Dillon’s Rolling Western series on 3DS. The first game came out in 2012, followed by The Last Ranger in 2013 and finally Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers in 2018. It has since been working on the Kirby series with HAL Laboratory – specifically Super Kirby Clash, Kirby Fighters 2, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe.

Vanpool was originally founded in 1999. Going back to the studio’s earlier days, it contributed to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Later on the company made Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland and the Japan-exclusive Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love.

Vanpool’s notice unfortunately doesn’t delve into specifics behind its closure. The statement simply made note of various circumstances involved with the decision.

Do you have any fond memories playing the Dillon’s Rolling Western series or any of the other games Vanpool contributed to? Let us know in the comments below.