Sweden's Embracer Group has shut down Insurgency developer New World Interactive.
16.11.2023 - 13:09 / videogameschronicle.com
Embracer Group provided further details about its ongoing restructuring plan during its quarterly earnings presentation on Thursday.
The company announced in June that it was implementing a restructuring programme which would involve the closure of studios and the cancellation of some projects.
It has since shut studios like Saints Row developer Volition and Campfire Cabal, while others have reportedly been put up for sale, such as Borderlands maker Gearbox.
Embracer has also made layoffs at companies including Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics, Knights of the Old Republic remake studio Beamdog, and Pinball FX maker Zen Studios, among others.
On Thursday, Embracer confirmed that the ongoing restructuring resulted in over 900 employees being let go during its second quarter ended in September.
Müge Bouillion, the chief financial officer of Embracer’s board game company Asmodee, who is also serving as finance workstream lead on the Group’s restructuring project, said over half of the staff that left were developers.
She also confirmed that “15 mainly unannounced projects” have been written down across Amplifier, Freemode, Gearbox, Plaion, Saber Interactive and THQ Nordic.
As opposed to write-offs, which reduce value to zero in accounting terms, write-downs can be incremental reductions or partial loss of value.
“At the end of the quarter, the overall headcount was down by 904 versus Q1. This represents a roughly 5% reduction in the workforce,” Bouillion said.
“The reduction was primarily driven by internal headcount, which was down by 713, and this comprised 511 developer and 202 non-developer roles. While this is partly business as usual, the majority is driven by the restructuring programme that we have put in place.”
VGC revealed earlier this month that TimeSplitters developer Free Radical Design is facing closure just two years after it was re-established by Embracer.
While Bouillion didn’t comment on specific studios, she confirmed that further closures and layoffs are planned.
“Since the end of Q2, in respect of due process and commercial sensitivity, we will not comment on the specifics, but further restructurings, closures, buyouts, are in process, and that will lead to additional headcount reductions.”
Sweden's Embracer Group has shut down Insurgency developer New World Interactive.
New World Interactive has been hit with layoffs amid Embracer Group's restructuring program.
Insurgency developer New World Interactive are the latest Embracer Group-owned studio to lay off staff, as part of the Swedish conglomerate's efforts to reduce their debts after a series of reckless studio acquisitions. It's not clear how many people have been affected, but New World Interactive's direct corporate parent Saber Interactive have revealed that one unannounced project has been cancelled.
Saber Interactive, a division of Embracer Group, has confirmed that it has laid off employees at its New World Interactive studio, the developer of Insurgency: Sandstorm.
New World Interactive, a subsidiary of Saber Interactive, is seeing layoffs. The studio is the latest one under the overall Embracer Group umbrella to face layoffs as part of the company’s major restructuring.
Embracer has confirmed that layoffs are ongoing at Insurgency: Sandstorm developer New World Interactive.
In case you missed it, a little-known developer called Rockstar finally revealed that its first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 would be dropping on December 5. With little more than a graphic with warm sunset tones, palm trees, and the words «Trailer 1, December 5, 9 AM ET,» the developer set fans into an absolute frenzy.
By Chris E. Hayner on
The devs at Creative Assembly have had a rough time of it recently. Back in September, the studio was blindsided by the sudden cancellation of its upcoming live-service shooter Hyenas, barely two weeks after it had concluded an open beta and one month after an appearance at Gamescom. The result was layoffs, uncertainty, and now the studio is going to attempt to pivot back to what it knows best: real-time strategy.
Dragon's Dogma 2 has a very intriguing new system, which oddly brings back memories of Metal Gear Solid 5.
A new report from VGC claims Free Radical Design will be shutting down on December 11. The studio, best known for the TimeSplitters franchise, was under evaluation by parent company Embracer to see if it warranted closure.
Embracer Group's restructuring process is still in its "early stages", and as such, we can expect "more cancellations, potentially some more closures" and some possible "management buyouts", according to Phil Rogers, CEO of the operating group that includes Crystal Dynamics and other Western studios previously owned by Square Enix.