Sadly, this is not isolated to this one company but rather a trend in the industry. It was rare before but getting very noticeable since autumn of 2025.
Companies around are running out of funds, a lot of them were on credit lines that dry out if the returns are no longer predictable.
Gunzilla lost half of its workforce in one year according to LinkedIn data. They are the company behind NFT battle royale game Off The Grid, so not a reliable place to start with.
#LayOffs@GameDEV
Companies around are running out of funds, a lot of them were on credit lines that dry out if the returns are no longer predictable.
Gunzilla lost half of its workforce in one year according to LinkedIn data. They are the company behind NFT battle royale game Off The Grid, so not a reliable place to start with.
#LayOffs@GameDEV
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Imagine someone put you in charge of fairly random layoffs swing which took down 1000 of jobs.
I'd leave too...
#EpicGames@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
I'd leave too...
#EpicGames@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
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Unfortunately, Gang of Dragon developers' social media pages are vanishing. Even their YouTube is gone.
The studio, founded by the creator of Yakuza game series, lost the funding a few months ago. The publisher NetEase refused to provide extra $44m to complete the game and stopped financing the development since the beginning of 2026.
Instead they proposed the Devs to find a new publisher who will be ready to cover up the initial development and assets + any further operations. If so, NE would happily share the IP. Which is better than nothing but still a horrible deal.
#Business@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
The studio, founded by the creator of Yakuza game series, lost the funding a few months ago. The publisher NetEase refused to provide extra $44m to complete the game and stopped financing the development since the beginning of 2026.
Instead they proposed the Devs to find a new publisher who will be ready to cover up the initial development and assets + any further operations. If so, NE would happily share the IP. Which is better than nothing but still a horrible deal.
#Business@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
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Nacon publishing house was unable to find anyone who can quickly acquire studio Spiders. It was placed on sale a month ago.
Now the company behind Technomancer, Greedfall, Bound by Flame, Of Orcs and Men, and Steelrising, is going to be fully closed. The DLCs are now going to be completed and released by Nacon themselves (no, apparently, they will not due to lack of funding).
Spiders existed for over 18 years and was making soulful AA RPGs. If you missed their games completely, they were similar to Piranha Bytes but from France.
#Nacon@GameDEV
#Finance@GameDEV
#Business@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
Now the company behind Technomancer, Greedfall, Bound by Flame, Of Orcs and Men, and Steelrising, is going to be fully closed. The DLCs are now going to be completed and released by Nacon themselves (no, apparently, they will not due to lack of funding).
Spiders existed for over 18 years and was making soulful AA RPGs. If you missed their games completely, they were similar to Piranha Bytes but from France.
#Nacon@GameDEV
#Finance@GameDEV
#Business@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
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GameDev Pulse
Remember MindsEye? As they promised before: here's their DLC about... "sabotage" that failed them and was "caused by a big American company who paid over 1M Euro to UK influencers and media, but also BaRB employees". The difference: IOI (aka Hitman makers)…
Build a Rocket Boy fired 170 more people and only about 80 employees left in the studio, according to Kotaku... the company still blames espionage and sabotage, not the overall mismanagement.
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
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After Nacon publishing house killed The Spiders (Greedfall, Steelrising, The Technomancer), they moved on to Big Bad Wolf (The Council, Vampire: The Masquerade — Swansong, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss). The company will be fully closed now. Their parent company Cyanide is also insolvent.
Kylotonn, The creators of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown will be hit differently: their studio will shrink from 120 to ~30 people soon. Which makes it nearly impossible to operate a live-service racing game in a reasonable pace.
#Nacon@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
Kylotonn, The creators of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown will be hit differently: their studio will shrink from 120 to ~30 people soon. Which makes it nearly impossible to operate a live-service racing game in a reasonable pace.
#Nacon@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
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Spellcaster Chronicles from Quantic Dream is going to be closed. The game only made it to 1000 CCU on Steam and now holds about 20...
... NetEase, according to insights, will cease funding of the studio due to the failure of the game. Their more common story-driven projects were supposed to be funded from the success of this multiplayer.
Who's going to tell them?
Haven't they noticed yet?!
#Multiplayer@GameDEV
#QuanticDream@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#NetEase@GameDEV
... NetEase, according to insights, will cease funding of the studio due to the failure of the game. Their more common story-driven projects were supposed to be funded from the success of this multiplayer.
Who's going to tell them?
Haven't they noticed yet?!
#Multiplayer@GameDEV
#QuanticDream@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#NetEase@GameDEV
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GameDev Pulse
PlayStation acquired Bungie for $3.6 Bn in January of 2022. The studio that was earning around $200m annually and not growing. One active project, another one in pre-production. No significant IPs in their pockets, no reason to value it that high. They made…
The typical I told you so moment: significant number of Destiny 2 developers will be fired and the active development of new games is years ahead.
#Bungie@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#PlayStation@GameDEV
#Bungie@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#PlayStation@GameDEV
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PLAYERUNKNOWN Productions (Brandan Greene) is laying off most of his team. They are not related to the current PUBG and were making survival game (on a huge open map, barely working).
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
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According to Insider-Gaming (Tom Henderson), after the annual loss of over a billion euros Ubisoft is shutting down several offices around the world and shrinking down many teams, including the one that works on Rainbow Six Siege... in total, about 380 people lost their jobs during these "structural changes".
Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake is still set to be released in time and the company has a lot of hopes for it. The preorders are record-breaking.
#Ubisoft@GameDEV
#Layoffs@GameDEV
Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake is still set to be released in time and the company has a lot of hopes for it. The preorders are record-breaking.
#Ubisoft@GameDEV
#Layoffs@GameDEV
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XBOX was hit by the new internal announcement, stating that the profit margin of the gaming department is now at 3% (the healthy one is at least 20%). To counter that, Asha is planning the major reboot and restructuring.
About 1000 people will be fired this summer from the whole XBOX structure, according to the reports.
UPD: news outlets misinformed me — it's "down BY 3% Y2Y", not down to 3%.
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#XBOX@GameDEV
About 1000 people will be fired this summer from the whole XBOX structure, according to the reports.
UPD: news outlets misinformed me — it's "down BY 3% Y2Y", not down to 3%.
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#XBOX@GameDEV
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Remember I recommended you We Happy Few during the whole previous week, since it was notoriously well written?
Well, the studio behind it is reportedly being closed. No official confirmation yet but South of Midnight was equally creative but didn't get enough sales. And it's not enough to make three games in 15 years.
The company is still making their next game, but Kotaku and Insider-Gaming reported that employees believe that closure "is just a matter of time".
Two months ago they were posting job openings, then last week several employees set green badges on LN.
#Microsoft@GameDEV
#XBOX@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
Well, the studio behind it is reportedly being closed. No official confirmation yet but South of Midnight was equally creative but didn't get enough sales. And it's not enough to make three games in 15 years.
The company is still making their next game, but Kotaku and Insider-Gaming reported that employees believe that closure "is just a matter of time".
Two months ago they were posting job openings, then last week several employees set green badges on LN.
#Microsoft@GameDEV
#XBOX@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
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The flagship Paris office of Don't Nod (Remember Me, Life is Strange, Vampyr, Banishers) is running out of funds. They will not have any money by November of 2026 and desperately looking for a publishing deal. Their biggest shareholder Tencent refused to cooperate further.
Semi-independent office in Montreal is a different entity sponsored by Netflix. Their partnership continues regardless.
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#Finance@GameDEV
#DontNod@GameDEV
Semi-independent office in Montreal is a different entity sponsored by Netflix. Their partnership continues regardless.
#LayOffs@GameDEV
#Finance@GameDEV
#DontNod@GameDEV
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Well, one of the Sea of Thieves leads, who took a serious role to maintain the whole portfolio, is stepping down before major layoffs. I assume, he doesn't want to be associated with whatever happens next.
#XBOX@GameDEV
#XBOX@GameDEV
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GameDev Pulse
Remember I recommended you We Happy Few during the whole previous week, since it was notoriously well written? Well, the studio behind it is reportedly being closed. No official confirmation yet but South of Midnight was equally creative but didn't get enough…
Arkane, Double Fine, and Ninja Theory were added to the list for closure in addition to Compulsion Games. They all apparently negotiate independence from XBOX.
They may at best be left without their IPs but with core teams on their own. Even as independent entities they will have to run through significant layoffs.
#XBOX@GameDEV
#Microsoft@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
They may at best be left without their IPs but with core teams on their own. Even as independent entities they will have to run through significant layoffs.
#XBOX@GameDEV
#Microsoft@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
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The team behind Luna Abyss was laid off from Kwalee without a warning. Hollie Emery, the CEO of Kwalee Labs announced it on her LN.
The game has been released less than a month ago and got positive reception from players and media. It sold OK-ish since there was almost no marketing (and I have never heard of it before).
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1933000/Luna_Abyss/
#Horror@GameDEV
#Kwalee@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV
The game has been released less than a month ago and got positive reception from players and media. It sold OK-ish since there was almost no marketing (and I have never heard of it before).
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1933000/Luna_Abyss/
#Horror@GameDEV
#Kwalee@GameDEV
#LayOffs@GameDEV