Funcom to lay off staff as it pivots to focusing solely on Conan Exiles and Dune: Awakening
Norwegian developer Funcom has announced a restructuring that will result in staff layoffs as the company narrows its focus to two live-service games: Conan Exiles and Dune: Awakening. The company, owned by Tencent since 2020, is consolidating resources around these two titles as it exits other projects.
The restructuring will mark a significant leadership transition. CEO Rui Casais, who has led Funcom for 11 years and spent 22 years at the company overall, will depart once the “difficult phase” of restructuring concludes, with plans to leave by year’s end. He will be succeeded by Scott Junior, the company’s Chief Product Officer.
Casais oversaw Funcom through its acquisition by Chinese tech giant Tencent in 2020 and the development of Dune: Awakening, which the company has described as its largest project ever undertaken, requiring years of significant development resources. The pivot to focus exclusively on live-service operations for these two games suggests the studio is prioritizing established and major projects over maintaining a broader portfolio.
The exact number of affected staff members has not been disclosed. This move reflects broader industry trends toward consolidation and focus on fewer, larger live-service titles rather than maintaining diverse game portfolios. For Funcom, the decision represents a significant strategic shift from its previous multi-game approach to a focused strategy centered on long-term live-service support.