This yr was arguably one of the best of all time for video video games; it was undoubtedly one of many worst for the individuals who make them. All year long, studios had been shut down, hundreds laid off, and builders got, disrespectfully, 30 seconds to shine on The Sport Awards 2023 stage after successful awards. Greater than 10,000 builders had been laid off in 2023, and depressingly, it felt like we wrote a narrative about studio layoffs as soon as per week.
In January, Microsoft laid off 10,000 staff amidst its ongoing $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which it accomplished in October.
Putting Distance Studios, the workforce behind final yr’s The Callisto Protocol, laid off greater than 30 staff in August. That very same month, Mass Impact and Dragon Age developer BioWare laid off 50 staff, together with long-time studio veterans. The next month, in September, Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios laid off roughly 45% of its employees, and Fortnite developer Epic Video games laid off 830 staff.
In October, The Final of Us developer Naughty Canine laid off not less than 25 staff, and Telltale Video games additionally underwent layoffs, though an precise variety of affected staff has not but been revealed. Desires developer Media Molecule laid off 20 staff in late October.
In November, Amazon Video games laid off 180 employees members, Ubisoft laid off greater than 100 staff, Bungie laid off roughly 100 builders, and 505 Video games’ mother or father firm, Digital Bros, laid off 30% of its employees.
Simply this month, Embracer Group closed its reformed TimeSplitters studio, Free Radical Design, and earlier within the yr, Embracer closed Saints Row developer Volition Video games, a studio with greater than 30 years of growth historical past. Just a few weeks earlier than the vacations, Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering proprietor Hasbro laid off 1,100 staff.
The video games business will certainly really feel the results of such a horrific yr for years to come back. The hearts of the Sport Informer employees are with everybody who’s been affected by layoffs or closures this yr.
