Supermassive Games, the studio known for its work on Until Dawn, The Quarry, and The Dark Pictures Anthology, is undergoing a major “reorganisation” in the coming weeks, with a significant number of developers set to be laid off. The news was confirmed in a statement on Twitter / X which acknowledged the current difficulties facing the games industry.
“It’s no secret that the games industry is currently facing significant challenges, and unfortunately we aren’t immune to this,” Supermassive announced. “After much deliberation and with deep regret, we are therefore undertaking a reorganisation of Supermassive Games. As a result, we are entering into a period of consultation, which we anticipate will result in the loss of some of our colleagues.”
“This is not a decision that’s been taken lightly, with many efforts made to avoid this outcome. We are all too aware of how unsettling and difficult this process is going to be for all our employees and will be working closely with all those involved to ensure the process is conducted as respectfully and compassionately as possible. We’re committed to focussing our efforts on our core strengths and upcoming titles to ensure the continued sustainability of the studio.”
Read: Until Dawn is getting a PS5 and PC remaster in 2024
While Supermassive’s statement did not reveal the scope of incoming layoffs, a report from Bloomberg has alleged around 90 workers are expected to be laid off, accounting for around 30% of the entire studio. Per Bloomberg, around 150 staff have been informed they’re at risk of losing their jobs, and more than half will be let go in the coming weeks.
The decision to lay off staff at Supermassive Games comes as a surprise, as the studio is currently working on a number of active projects. It’s collaborating with Behaviour Interactive on a Dead by Daylight spin-off game; it’s working on Little Nightmares 3 with Bandai Namco Entertainment; we’re due to hear more news about the next Dark Pictures game – Directive 8020 – shortly; it’s overseeing a remaster of Until Dawn for PS5 handled by Ballistic Moon; and Until Dawn is also being turned into a feature film.
Given the alleged number of staff laid off in this round of cuts, plans for these projects may change – but for now, we’ll have to wait to see what happens. In the end, the games are far less important than the people working behind the scenes, who will be out of a job during an incredibly tough economic period.
Our thoughts are with those impacted by the upcoming layoffs at Supermassive Games.
