Deck 9, the studio behind Life Is Unusual entries Earlier than the Storm and True Colours, in addition to The Expanse: A Telltale Sequence, laid off 20% of its employees at the moment.
The studio introduced the information in a press release on X/Twitter at the moment, writing, “Like many others within the video games business proper now, Deck 9 has been affected by the sport business’s worsening market circumstances.”
“These persons are wonderful, gifted, and superior builders,” the assertion provides. “They’ve made a huge effect throughout their time at Deck 9 Video games and we didn’t take this resolution evenly. Please rent these individuals should you can, they’re wonderful.”
pic.twitter.com/rEVSYzwLQp
— Deck 9 Video games (@DeckNineGames) February 27, 2024
Deck 9 did not specify how many individuals that 20% equates to, however IGN understands that the studio employed roughly between 100 and 130 staffers previous to at the moment’s layoffs.
A lot of the laid-off staffers had been fast to publish in regards to the information on social media. Elizabeth Ballou, who served as a Narrative Designer at Deck 9, wrote that each one staff affected by the layoffs could be getting solely two weeks of severance pay, no matter time spent on the firm.
we’re all getting 2 weeks of severance, together with individuals who have labored on the studio for 7+ years.
— elizabeth ballou (@lizbetballou) February 27, 2024
Deck 9 beforehand went by one other spherical of layoffs final Might which, in line with a press release despatched to GameDeveloper.com, affected 30 individuals. As talked about, the studio is finest identified for its work on its work on the Life Is Unusual collection, together with 2022’s Remastered Assortment, in addition to The Expanse title it co-developed with Telltale Video games.
As Deck 9’s assertion notes, it is sadly solely the newest in a protracted checklist of layoffs to hit the video games business over the previous yr. Simply earlier at the moment, Sony introduced layoffs at PlayStation that can have an effect on 900 employees members, or about 8% of its world workforce. Microsoft, in the meantime, is shedding a stunning 1,900 individuals from its online game workforce, it was revealed earlier this yr. An estimated 10,000 sport staff misplaced their jobs in 2023 alone, and this yr has continued to be relentless within the business.
Alex Stedman is a Senior Information Editor with IGN, overseeing leisure reporting. When she’s not writing or enhancing, you will discover her studying fantasy novels or taking part in Dungeons & Dragons.
