job losses Archives

AppWizard

November 12, 2025

Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney wades into the Arc Raiders AI voice debate with an imaginary scenario predicting ‘infinite, context-sensitive, personality-reflecting dialog based on and tuned by human voice actors’

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, views generative AI as a significant opportunity for enhancing in-game dialogue, proposing it could create "infinite, context-sensitive, personality-reflecting dialog" shaped by human voice actors. His comments were in response to criticism from freelancer Rick Lane regarding the use of AI-generated voices in the game Arc Raiders. Sweeney believes that AI can enhance human productivity and that competition among game developers fosters better games rather than reducing job opportunities. He argues that the future of AI offers greater opportunities for voice actors compared to traditional roles, envisioning a gaming landscape with dynamic, context-sensitive interactions. Critics, however, question the feasibility of his vision and express concerns about the potential threat to voice actors' livelihoods. Industry responses to generative AI vary, with some leaders embracing it while others remain cautious. Sweeney acknowledges the validity of concerns about the impact of progress on affected individuals.

AppWizard

October 22, 2025

Ubisoft “restructuring” RedLynx, up to 60 jobs at risk

Ubisoft has announced a restructuring of its RedLynx studio, which may result in job losses for up to 60 employees. The changes aim to streamline costs and enhance operational efficiency, with a focus on prioritizing projects. Celine Pasula, Managing Director of RedLynx, acknowledged the emotional impact of the announcement on employees and teams. Despite the challenges, Ubisoft remains optimistic about RedLynx's future, emphasizing a commitment to technical excellence in mobile gaming and improving capabilities across various platforms.

AppWizard

October 17, 2025

Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of Electronic Arts faces pushback from game developers, petition calls on FTC to ‘scrutinize this deal closely’

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, along with private equity firms, is acquiring Electronic Arts (EA) for a billion dollars, facing significant resistance from the United Videogame Workers-CWA union. The union has urged regulators to prioritize job protection, creative freedom, and accountability in decision-making. EA, with annual revenues of .5 billion and profits of billion, is not in distress, but concerns have been raised about potential layoffs, particularly at BioWare, a studio known for its progressive narrative approach. The union warned that job losses would be a choice made for investor profit rather than necessity. U.S. senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren have expressed concerns about national security risks related to the acquisition, but regulatory intervention seems unlikely due to a shift in the FTC's stance and the involvement of Jared Kushner in the deal. The union has initiated a petition to prompt regulatory examination of the acquisition.

AppWizard

July 4, 2025

MindsEye maker BARB set to make redundancies

Build A Rocket Boy, the developer of MindsEye, is preparing for potential layoffs, informing its approximately 300 UK employees and those at its subsidiary PlayFusion of possible redundancies. MindsEye, launched in early June, faced a poor reception due to technical difficulties, leading the company to address these issues. Co-CEO Leslie Benzies attributed some challenges to "internal and external saboteurs," a sentiment echoed by co-CEO Mark Gerhard. However, the game's publisher has stated they do not believe any sabotage occurred during development or launch.

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

Embracer’s headcount dropped by 1.8k staff last year

Embracer Group has reduced its workforce by over 1,800 employees, specifically a decrease of 1,857 compared to the previous fiscal year. This follows approximately 1,400 job losses in the prior year. The company has also divested several studios, including Gearbox and Saber Interactive. Embracer is planning to split into three publicly-traded entities, and founder and CEO Lars Wingefors will step down, with Phil Rogers taking over as CEO. Wingefors will become executive chairman of the Board, focusing on strategic initiatives, mergers and acquisitions, and capital allocation.

AppWizard

June 4, 2025

RuneScape maker Jagex confirms layoffs

Jagex has confirmed layoffs as part of a restructuring aimed at enhancing focus on RuneScape games and community growth. The layoffs primarily affected roles not directly involved in game development or player interaction, with some exceptions within the RuneScape team. Liam "Mod Hooli" Ashley, head of community and social, stated that the company's commitment to growing and investing in RuneScape 3 remains unchanged, and the game's roadmap will not be affected by these job reductions. The studio is prioritizing support for those impacted by the layoffs. This restructuring occurs under new CEO Jon Bellamy, following multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years.

AppWizard

March 10, 2025

Rebellion’s Kingsley: “We’re just very professional with controlling scope and costs”

Jason Kingsley OBE, CEO of UK developer Rebellion, stated that the company's success in avoiding layoffs is due to meticulous cost management practices. Rebellion focuses on keeping project scopes manageable and prefers developing smaller, high-quality games rather than large, unfocused ones. Approximately two-thirds of their games are sequels or established brands, while one-third consists of experimental projects, ensuring a reliable revenue stream and fostering innovation. Kingsley emphasized the importance of job security and the company's commitment to maintaining stability and responsible growth without frequent hiring and firing.

TrendTechie

February 5, 2025

Французские ученые нашли способ слежки за пользователями торрент-трекеров

Researchers from the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control tracked user activities on torrent trackers for 103 days, collecting 148 million IP addresses and identifying 2 billion copies of files, many of which were unlicensed. They observed the distribution of 500,000 to 750,000 files at any moment and identified 1.4 million unique .torrent files, noting that a small number of individuals shared the majority of these files. The UK has enacted legislation requiring internet service providers to disconnect users accused of downloading pirated content, while the Supreme Court of Ireland upheld the legality of disconnecting users accused of music piracy. In 2008, Europeans downloaded €10 billion worth of copyrighted materials without charge, resulting in 185,000 job losses in the creative sectors. The European Parliament is reviewing statistics related to digital piracy, and several EU countries are drafting anti-piracy legislation. UNESCO announced the launch of the "Global Anti-Piracy Observatory" on World Book and Copyright Day.

AppWizard

December 13, 2024

This year The Game Awards finally tackled the plague of game industry layoffs

Geoff Keighley addressed the significant layoffs in the video game industry over the past two years during The Game Awards, noting the unprecedented nature of these job losses. Amir Satvat created the Games Jobs Resources website to support those affected by these layoffs, offering career planning, job listings, and networking opportunities. He highlighted that over 34,000 jobs have been lost in the last three years, emphasizing the importance of talent in game development.

AppWizard

September 17, 2024

VR specialist nDreams to lay off 17.5% of staff

nDreams plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 17.5%, affecting around 45 employees out of 253. CEO Patrick O'Luanaigh communicated this decision, citing a renewed strategic focus and challenges in the VR games market. Despite the layoffs, the company remains committed to the future of XR gaming and is working to support affected employees. This announcement follows nDreams' acquisition by Aonic for 0 million ten months ago.