Mass layoffs continue to plague the industry. Supermassive Games, developer of games like Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology, is the latest studio to announce job cuts.
The Quarry
- As first reported by Bloomberg, Supermassive Games informed 150 of its employees about the upcoming layoffs via email.
- Roughly 90 of them will end up losing their jobs, which is 30% of the studio’s headcount of more than 300 people.
- Supermassive confirmed the layoffs on social media, announcing its decision to undertake a reorganization. “As a result, we a entering into a period of consultation, which we anticipate will result in the loss of some of our colleagues,” the statement reads.
- The Until Dawn developer didn’t disclose how many employees will eventually be laid off, only saying that it “will be working closely with all those involved to ensure the process is conducted as respectfully and compassionately as possible.”
- “We’re committed to focusing our efforts on your core strengths and upcoming titles to ensure the continued sustainability of the company.”
A statement from Supermassive Games. pic.twitter.com/9GkgIrYQvt
— Supermassive Games (@SuperMGames) February 26, 2024
Supermassive Games is a UK-based studio founded by Pete and Joe Samuels in 2008. It gained recognition for its interactive horror titles such as Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology, and The Quarry. In 2022, it was acquired by Nordisk Games, a Danish entertainment company that owns game developers like Avalanche Studios Group, Flashbulb Games, and MercurySteam.
The Samuels brothers left Supermassive earlier this year, with former Avalanche Studios chairman Robert Henrysson taking the reins. Right now, the studio is working on several games, including Little Nightmares III, The Casting of Frank Stone (a Dead by Daylight spin-off), and The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020.
Supermassive is one of many studios that have been hit with layoffs in recent months. According to the Game Industry Layoffs project, over 6,100 games industry professionals have already lost their jobs since the beginning of 2024. The list of affected studios includes Unity, ZA/UM, Pirahna Bytes, Microsoft/Activision Blizzard, Eidos Montreal, Riot Games, and more.