Tag Archives: Layoffs

Just last week, it was announced that Embracer Group was finalising a sale of Gearbox Entertainment to Take-Two Interactive in a deal worth around $460 million. While this deal is likely in the best interest of all companies involved, it has not come without its downsides, with Gearbox confirming a …

Despite recording record profits, in large part thanks to EAFC's microtransaction sales, EA is now letting go of hundreds of employees across its studios, cancelling projects and shutting down at least one studio. We'll start off with the major cancellations. Respawn's in-development Star Wars shooter, claimed to be based on …

Over the past year, there have been plenty of layoffs at studios across the games industry. Unfortunately, this trend has continued into 2024. Following on from Microsoft's announced layoffs earlier this year, Sony is now cutting down its workforce at Sony Interactive Entertainment.  In an announcement today, penned by current …

Supermassive Games appears to be the latest game studio to run into financial issues. Over the past year, thousands of developers have lost jobs due to various cuts at companies across the games industry. Now, it is being reported that Supermassive, the studio behind Until Dawn, The Quarry and other …

Last week, Microsoft announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs across its different businesses. Some of these layoffs have impacted Microsoft-owned game development studios, including 343 Industries. Not long after this, rumours began claiming that 343 would no longer be developing Halo, and instead, the studio would shrink and simply ‘oversee' …

Microsoft is currently battling with regulators to push through its record-setting acquisition of Activision Blizzard in a deal worth roughly $70 billion. Despite the massive piles of cash Microsoft has at its disposal, the company is still shifting things around, with plans for roughly 1,000 layoffs in the coming months.  …

Starbeeze has been having a rough time lately, with financial issues creeping in and the studio shutting down Overkill's The Walking Dead after losing the license from Skybound Entertainment. The publisher is still staying afloat for the time being but in an effort to get back on track, further cost …

As a result of its perceived 95 billion yen (£655m/$863m) loss, Sony closed down its China-based smartphone factory last week. Now, reports are suggesting that Sony will make up to half of its mobile division redundant by next year, resulting in the loss of 2,000 jobs. Sony’s staggering losses from …

Even before Intel’s Bob Swan officially cemented his role as CEO, the company has been on a hiring spree picking up notable industry experts, reportedly including Nvidia’s Tom Peterson. Unfortunately, a shake-up in how the company runs its business in the Americas has seen a substantial amount of information technology …

Update (27.03.19): Yesterday, EA announced plans to make some internal changes, which would result in 350 people getting let go. The job cuts mainly affect those working in publishing, marketing and analysis for the company however, the announcement also singled out plans to ramp down efforts in Japan and Russia. …

Last week, we learned that Valve had gone through a round of layoffs, with around 13 employees losing their employment. At the time, it was believed that this mainly impacted Valve's virtual reality hardware team, but there were other areas affected, including the Artifact team. Valve uses a lot of …

Following the recent trend of industry shake-ups, developer Techland has recently announced a round of layoffs with the closure of its local distribution and publishing department. The studio has confirmed that its current projects remain unaffected, including Dying Light 2 and its “huge matrix” of player choices. “After months’ worth …

Last week, Guild Wars developer ArenaNet informed employees that organisation-wide cost cutting would result in a number of layoffs. Now, it has been confirmed that 143 employees have lost their job at its Bellevue headquarters, which is over 35% of its estimated total staff. A spokesperson originally confirmed to GameDaily …

February has been a particularly devastating month in terms of layoffs in the video game industry, with Activision Blizzard and ArenaNet both downsizing their workforce. CD Project Red-owned storefront GOG also seems to be caught with its own financial issues, with at least a dozen staff made redundant last week. …

Guild Wars developer ArenaNet has informed employees that it plans to “cut costs across the organisation,” meaning another round of mass layoffs is about to hit the video game industry. Currently, it’s unknown just how many employees will be laid off, although those that worked on cancelled projects are expected …

Game Workers Unite has been expanding its reach, joining the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) at the end of last year to do away with wrongful practices in the UK’s biggest industry. Now, the organisation is attempting to see Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick fired for his hand …

Over the weekend, it was reported that Activision Blizzard was planning to lay-off hundreds of staff members. The company held its quarterly financial earnings meeting last night, confirming that revenues are up, but despite that, the company will be shaving off eight percent of its staff. Around 800 employees will …

At Blizzcon last year, it became more apparent than ever that things at Blizzard were changing. There has been a shift towards mobile gaming, Mike Morhaime has left the studio and Activision has chosen a new CFO to oversee and manage Blizzard's financial situation. Now, the folks at Blizzard are …

MMO maker Trion Worlds has been snapped up by publisher Gamigo, known for publishing the free-to-play first-person shooter Ironsight. Unfortunately, the acquisition has been followed by mass layoffs, seeing Trion shed almost 200 people according to inside sources. Yesterday, the developer revealed that “there has been a transaction involving Trion …

Update (24/07/18): Yesterday, reports began circulating that developer Trion Worlds had let go some of its staff as a result of Defiance 2050's performance just weeks after it had launched. While developers have indeed been let go from the company, Trion has clarified that the decision had nothing to do …

Shortly after leaving Early Access and transitioning over to the ‘free to play' model, the studio behind H1Z1 has had to cut its staff down. Daybreak, formerly known as Sony Online Entertainment, has confirmed this week that it has undergone a round of layoffs. In an email sent out to …

It looks like Microsoft's Nokia acquisition didn't entirely go to plan. Windows Phone's market share is still in decline and since absorbing Nokia's former employees, Microsoft has had a fair few rounds of job cuts. Following on from last year's cut of 7,800 jobs to refocus the Microsoft Mobile division, the …

Visceral Games, the studio behind the Dead Space series, Battlefield Hardline and an unannounced Star Wars title, has been hit with a small number of layoffs. EA is working to ensure a smooth transition for the employees affected and they may be moved to other parts of the company. In …

Warner Bros is set to be hit with a company wide wave of layoffs later this week according to multiple reports. This could very well have a significant effect the Interactive Enterainment division which is responsible for publishing the Batman Akrham series, The Witcher series, the FEAR series along with …

It looks like WildStar, Guild Wars and City of Heroes publisher, NCSoft, is running in to some trouble and as a result, the company, along with several developers have been hit with layoffs. Guild Wars developer, Arenanet, is unaffected whereas WildStar developer, Carbine, has had to let go around 60 people, cutting …

Rovio, the mobile app-developer that took Crush the Castle and added birds, has announced that it's going to have to cut a large number of jobs from its Finnish offices; some 130 in total, which represents over 16 per cent of its work force. “We have been building our team on assumptions …

Microsoft's original programming plans have been cut short as it has been revealed that Xbox Entertainment Studios will be shutting down as part of the mass job cuts taking place at the company. The studio was in charge of the upcoming live action Halo projects and the Atari E.T landfill documentary. …

Zynga, the Facebook game maker with an ex-CEO that doesn't really like contemporary gaming, and a current one that said if your internet sucks, get an Xbox 360, has announced the acquisition of another developer, taking on all of its staff and facilities. This time around its CSR Racing developer …