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Embracer lays off devs at Mythforce studio, just days after the release of its cartoony co-op FPS
20.09.2023 - 18:25 / rockpapershotgun.com / Of Its / Lays Off
Less than 18 months after it acquired Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition and Mythforce developers Beamdog, Embracer Group has reportedly laid off more than two dozen staff at the studio. Mere days after the release of its nostalgic co-op shooter, no less.
Beamdog was bought by the Embracer-owned Aspyr (which is itself owned by Saber Interactive, Embraced back in 2020) last April, which acquired the Canadian studio founded by former BioWare leads Trent Oster and Cameron Tofer for an undisclosed sum.
The deal also saw Aspyr pick up the publishing rights for Beamdog’s Mythforce, a first-person spell-shooter dressed in the clothes of Saturday morning cartoons - specifically the 1980s animated Dungeons & Dragons show.
Before Mythforce, Beamdog had worked on remastered ‘Enhanced Editions’ of the original Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, along with fellow classic D&D CRPG Planescape: Torment.
After its eye-catching reveal last spring, Mythforce was released just last Tuesday, September 12th. Three days later on that Friday, 26 members of staff are said to have been let go, according to LinkedIn posts from those affected spotted by Game Developer.
Those confirmed to have laid off include associate producer Misia Bloniarz, QA manager Erin McIntyre and associate graphic artist Jill Hollet, who wrote that the move had come “as part of the Embracer Group's ongoing restructuring initiative”.
"I am incredibly grateful to them for affording me the opportunity to embark upon my professional journey in the industry,” Hollet continued. “It has been an honour to collaborate with such exceptional individuals during my time there.”
Embracer announced that it would undergo significant restructuring in June, including layoffs, closing some of its 138 studios and cancelling various unannounced games. The move was reportedly triggered by a collapsed $2 billion deal with the Saudi Arabia-backed Savvy Games Group that wiped 40% off Embracer’s share price.
The decision has since seen it shutter veteran Saints Row and Red Faction developers Volition in August, with the megaconglomerate also reportedly considering selling off Borderlands makers Gearbox.
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