staff reductions Archives

AppWizard

April 23, 2025

Devolver lays off 40% of Nerial workforce

Indie publisher Devolver Digital has reduced its workforce at Nerial, the studio behind the Reigns series, by 40 percent as part of a strategic response to challenges with recent releases. Nerial currently has 13 employees listed on LinkedIn, though it is unclear if this reflects pre- or post-layoff numbers. The Reigns franchise has generated over a million in revenue. Additionally, Polish developer Artificer has seen a workforce reduction exceeding 50 percent, and other Devolver labels, such as Good Shepherd and Big Fan, have also experienced layoffs affecting more than half of their staff in 2024. Overall, Devolver has reduced its workforce by over 30 employees between 2023 and 2024. Cult of the Lamb has generated over a million in lifetime revenue, Astroneer has surpassed the million mark, and the Gungeon series has earned over a million and sold more than five million copies. Devolver's average expenditure on third-party titles is projected to decline from approximately .99 million in 2022 to .73 million in 2025 and further to .04 million in 2026.

AppWizard

April 20, 2025

Once promising developer Tequila Works is auctioning off the rights to its games, including 4 still in development

Tequila Works, a Spanish game studio founded in 2009, has declared insolvency following staff reductions and the cancellation of an unannounced project. The studio's intangible assets, including notable video game intellectual properties like Rime and Gylt, are currently up for auction on the European platform Escrapalia, with bids ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 euros. General manager Térence Mosca stated that prolonged market conditions forced the company into this situation.

AppWizard

December 5, 2024

IllFonic is making job cuts

IllFonic, the studio behind Friday the 13th: The Game and Predator: Hunting Grounds, announced staff reductions due to challenges in the gaming industry. CEO Charles Brungardt attributed the decision to broader industry conditions and the struggles of their latest release, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game, which has not maintained a strong player base. He expressed regret over the cuts and encouraged industry connections for displaced team members.

AppWizard

July 3, 2024

Tales of Kenzera: Zau maker Surgent Studios is laying off staff

UK developer Surgent Studios has announced job cuts, laying off "just over a dozen people" following reports on LinkedIn about staff reductions. Despite the layoffs, the company expressed pride in the team's work on Zau and their focus remains on supporting those affected, continuing work on Zau, and planning for future creative projects.

Winsage

May 30, 2024

Destiny 2 tops the Steam charts with sky-high player counts ahead of The Final Shape, and I’m not surprised

Destiny 2 has experienced a resurgence, with around 100,000 concurrent players on Steam and being the 12th most-played game on Xbox. The revival was sparked by the Into the Light update, which included new content and a horde mode, as well as anticipation for the upcoming expansion, The Final Shape.

Winsage

April 16, 2024

Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive plans to lay off hundreds of workers and cancel some games

Take-Two Interactive has announced a workforce reduction of 5%, resulting in the departure of hundreds of staff members and the cancellation of multiple game projects.