The layoff trend keeps haunting the gaming industry, and its latest victim is Supermassive Games. The English video game developers are known for creating popular horror video games like Until Dawn and The Quarry. Despite the immense success, the studio had to let go of employees for “sustainability”.
Supermassive Games recently took to their official X (formerly Twitter) account to share a statement, claiming the gaming industry is facing some tough challenges. They are not immune to those hardships and have decided to reorganize the studio by letting go of some of their employees. The studio further asked fans to not take their decision lightly, as they tried their best to avoid it.
A statement from Supermassive Games. pic.twitter.com/9GkgIrYQvt
— Supermassive Games (@SuperMGames) February 26, 2024
Rino, an X user who posts news related to the gaming industry, shared that the English studio has laid off around 90 employees. Furthermore, the studio responsible for Until Dawn has asserted that they are aware of the challenges the affected staff would face. So, they will be working closely with them to ensure this process is as respectful and transparent as possible.
How will the layoffs affect Supermassive Games’ future projects?
Supermassive Games has claimed they had to take this step for the company’s sustainability. So, they will keep focusing on developing their upcoming games. The studio is currently working on multiple projects like the puzzle-platform horror adventurer Little Nightmares III and the Dead by Daylight spin-off The Casting of Frank Stone, which is expected to release in 2024.
Aside from the two 2024 releases, the English studio is also working on Directive 8020, which is part of their renowned anthology series of interactive drama and survival horror video games, The Dark Pictures Anthology. The game is in the early development stages, so it is still unknown when it will hit shelves.
With so many projects on hand, laying off employees will definetly affect the development of these games. It could slow down the development process, as some core members of the projects might have been laid off. These hurdles could lead the studio to delay the game’s release. However, it isn’t an uncommon practice in the gaming industry to delay a game’s release if there are problems in development.
