Supermassive Games to undergo layoffs following mixed reception to Directive 8020

Supermassive Games, the studio behind Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology, is preparing for a significant round of layoffs following the release of its latest title, Directive 8020. The company expects around 75 employees to be let go following a reduncancy consultation process. 

In a statement on X, Supermassive said: “We have made the difficult decision to begin a redundancy consultation process, which we anticipate will result in the loss of up to 75 of our colleagues. This is a necessary step to help ensure the sustainability of the company. We know this will be an incredibly difficult time for everyone, and our priority throughout the process will be to provide support to all those impacted.”

Directive 8020 only released in May, but early signs suggest the game has struggled commercially. According to Steam Charts, the title has seen just 60 players in the last 24 hours, with an all-time peak of roughly 3000 players since launch.

Supermassive has grown significantly over the past decade thanks to its narrative driven horror games, but the studio has also expanded its output and team size during that time. With Directive 8020 failing to gain traction, the company now appears to be scaling back to ensure long term sustainability.

KitGuru Says: Supermassive has been one of the more consistent studios in the horror genre, but Directive 8020 was met with mixed reviews on Steam. Hopefully Supermassive can turn things around with its next project. 

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