Digital Extremes, the developer behind multiplayer sci-fi shooter Warframe, has announced a «number of» layoffs at the studio. This comes as a result of plans to close Digital Extremes' publishing division.
24.10.2023 - 14:35 / gameinformer.com / Lay Off
PlayStation first-party studio Media Molecule, which is the team behind Dreams and LittleBigPlanet, is reportedly set to layoff around 20 employees. That's according to a new report from Sports Illustrated's GLHF, which states the news of impending layoffs was revealed during an internal meeting held today at the studio.
The layoffs are set to reduce team staff by 15 to 20%, with a headcount reduction of 135 to 115, according to GLHF. The report doesn't indicate a specific reason why beyond staff reduction, but Game Informer has reached out to PlayStation to confirm the layoffs and associated numbers, why the layoffs might be happening, and if affected employees will receive severance; we will update the story if we learn more or receive comment back from PlayStation.
Media Molecule was originally an independent studio before PlayStation acquired it in 2010. The team is responsible for LittleBigPlanet, LittleBigPlanet 2, Tearaway, and Dreams. Read Game Informer's LittleBigPlanet 2 review here and then check out our Dreams review.
These reported Media Molecule layoffs join an unfortunately ever-growing list of layoffs affecting the studios behind games released in 2023, which by all accounts is one of the best years in gaming in terms of releases. In January, Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees amidst its ongoing $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which it completed earlier this month.
In August, Striking Distance Studios, the team behind last year's The Callisto Protocol, laid off more than 30 employees, and that same month, Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare laid off 50 employees, including long-time studio veterans. The following month, in September, Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios laid off roughly 45% of its staff.
Just this month, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog has laid off at least 25 employees and Telltale Games has gone through layoffs as well, although an actual number of laid off employees has not yet been revealed.
The hearts of the Game Informer staff are with everyone affected by these layoffs and those still at the studio.
[Source:GLHF]
Digital Extremes, the developer behind multiplayer sci-fi shooter Warframe, has announced a «number of» layoffs at the studio. This comes as a result of plans to close Digital Extremes' publishing division.
It's being reported that Ubisoft is undergoing another round of layoffs to "streamline our operations," this time hitting its largest development studio and other groups across the world. Per IGN, Ubisoft Montreal has laid off 98 staff members, along with another 26 across global IT teams and the Hybride VFX studio, which included artists that assisted on the production of Disney's The Mandalorian series. "These are not decisions taken lightly, and we are providing comprehensive support for our colleagues who will be leaving Ubisoft during this transition," reads Ubisoft's statement. "We also want to share our utmost gratitude and respect for their many contributions to the company.
2023 continues to be the year of major video game layoffs as Ubisoft confirmed today that it has laid off 124 employees, several of them at its Montreal studios. According to Ubisoft, the employees are primarily in business administration and IT teams, and these layoffs are part of its efforts to “streamline our operations and enhance our collective efficiency.”
Looks like Ubisoft is the latest company to lay off a number of employees. The studio confirmed the decision to lay off employees, but added that none are on production teams.
Today, Ubisoft is the latest developer to join 2023's wave of layoffs. According to IGN, the company laid off a total of 124 employees. 98 of them were based in Canada, which IGN calculates as roughly 2% of the company's Canadian workforce. The cuts included administrative and IT workers, some of whom were employed at the Hybride VFX studio, a company that has worked on shows like Ahsoka and The Mandalorian.
Ubisoft has laid off 124 individuals today in an effort "to streamline our operations and enhance our collective efficiency," according to the company.
Ubisoft is the latest big player in the games industry to announce a round of job cuts.
Nascar Rivals developer Motorsport Games has cut around 38 jobs in a recent round of layoffs, mostly affecting roles in the UK and Australia.
Cryptic Studios, the developer of the Star Trek Online and Neverwinter MMOs, has become the latest studio to lay off employees. The studio has confirmed that «difficult personnel changes» have made as a result of parent company Embracer Group's ongoing restructuring.
Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape and the Marathon reboot have both reportedly been delayed amid lay-offs at developer Bungie.
Destiny 2 maker Bungie is among the latest video game studios to be hit with layoffs. First reported by Bloomberg, the downsizing is part of a wide restructuring across Sony Interactive Entertainment, with no official numbers available yet. Based on social media posts from affected workers, the communications, social media, and publishing departments at the studio were hit the hardest. Sony acquired Bungie in January 2022 in a $3.6 billion (about Rs. 29,973 crore) deal, enabling them to function independently and push forward the former's plans for more live-service games. The studio is also delaying its upcoming titles — a Destiny 2 expansion called The Final Shape and a reboot of Marathon, Bungie's first-person shooter title from 1994.
Update: Bungie CEO Pete Parsons took to X/Twitter to share some thoughts on the layoffs.