Layoffs themes

2026-09-23 6 stories

• Obsidian's "creative identity and strengths" will remain intact, promises Bethesda, as it takes control of Fallout: New Vegas studio 5 sources
• State of Decay studio Undead Labs goes independent after Xbox restructuring, but lays off "a significant number" of the team in doing so 4 sources
• Microsoft’s XBOX Layoffs Will Fall Short of Previously Stated 3 sources
• Xbox lays off Gears of War: E-Day's story director barely two weeks before the game's launch 2 sources
• Former Halo leaders lament effective closure of Halo Studios, as one employee finds themselves promoted and fired in same week 2 sources
• Double Fine Founder Tim Schafer Questions Economics of the Game Industry Amid Mass Layoffs and Studio Closures 2 sources

2026-09-22 7 stories

• Report: Activision Takes Over Halo, Sea of Thieves, Age of Empires as More Huge Layoffs Hit Xbox Studios 61 sources
• Bungie says it's "not done with Destiny", aims to earn back player trust by restoring archived Destiny 2 content 4 sources
• State of Decay Developer Undead Labs Responds to 'Significant' Layoffs Following Independence from Xbox 2 sources
• Xbox’s Second Wave Of Planned Layoffs Is Reportedly Starting As Studios Face Major Restructuring
• Rumour: Next Halo Game Will Be a New 'Mainline Instalment', Casting Doubt on More Remakes
• Blizzard layoffs are reportedly imminent, days after an exciting BlizzCon and a seemingly popular World of Warcraft: Forever beta
• Blizzard layoffs are reportedly imminent, days after an exciting BlizzCon and a seemingly popular World of Warcraft: Forever beta

2026-09-21 3 stories

• Bungie is freeing vaulted Destiny 2 campaigns after Marathon "did not reach as many players as we had hoped" 14 sources
• French publisher Dear Villagers confirms layoffs
• Double Fine's New Game Project Raises Half a Million Before Hitting Controversy

2026-09-19 1 story

• Japanese devs aren't facing the same layoff crisis because their executives are paid an order of magnitude less, 'they didn’t get swept up in the live-service trend,' and their teams are smaller, says industry expert

2026-09-18 2 stories

• Why do Japanese studios suffer fewer layoffs? Because they have smaller teams and don't pay their execs $30m, says one expert
• "Publishers are afraid of certain parts of the world": Saber Interactive's message to North American studios is to get their head out of their own geography

2026-09-17 2 stories

• Hyper Light Drifter developer Heart Machine has laid off the majority of staff 5 sources
• Zero Parades: Director's Cut will challenge you to drive a stolen truck through a busy roundabout while stoned out of your mind 3 sources

2026-09-16 2 stories

• More MindsEye developers have been laid off, and GTA veteran Leslie Benzie's studio is reportedly shutting down 10 sources
• Studio Behind Hyper Light Drifter In Peril After Publisher Withdraws Funding for Unannounced Project 3 sources

2026-09-15 2 stories

• Fable Developer Explains Why Xbox 'Protected' the Project Over Its Long Development Cycle, Amid Layoffs and Studio Closures Elsewhere
• DOOM: The Dark Ages Receives Permanent Price Drop On The Xbox Store

2026-09-14 5 stories

• Xbox CEO Asha Sharma May Have Personally Responded to Your Customer Support Ticket 4 sources
• Moss developer Polyarc has shut down 2 sources
• Worker-run studio KO_OP confirms layoffs
• Rockstar and IWGB outline arguments at start of tribunal
• Redfall co-director Harvey Smith thinks Arkane 'never should have been working on a games-as-a-service game'

2026-09-13 1 story

• Fallout dev Tim Cain says the games industry's volatility is 'always gonna be around': 'What's happening now isn't novel, it isn't new'

2026-09-11 1 story

• 'It would have been insanity to take no action' - Fiery opening statements reveal Rockstar's culture of secrecy as tribunal over sacked GTA 6 employees begins 6 sources

2026-09-10 2 stories

• "Today, we are fighting fear" - Final hearing in Rockstar Games vs. fired GTA 6 developers tribunal begins 5 sources
• GNOG and Goodbye Volcano High dev KO_OP share that they are laying off staff in the only, remotely good statement I've seen in a while

2026-09-09 1 story

• 'No-one puts Double Fine out of business except me', says Tim Schafer on taking Double Fine independent: 'Asha's not going to shoot my dog'

2026-09-08 3 stories

• Don't Nod considering laying off 90 workers in France 4 sources
• Report: FuturLab lays off devs without informing team leads or managers 3 sources
• Star Stable Entertainment reduces workforce by 20% to secure long-term future of its multiplayer horse adventure RPG 2 sources

2026-09-07 4 stories

• Don't Nod warns it may not have enough funding to operate beyond January 2027 2 sources
• Tim Schafer: "No one puts Double Fine out of business except me"
• Riot co-founder doesn't think 2XKO was 'a mistake' but perhaps a tough sell: 'You're not just competing against games, you're competing against everything'
• Crytek Layoffs Hit Staff In Istanbul And Frankfurt

2026-09-05 1 story

• Saber CCO Tim Willits blames layoffs on games industry overspecialization: 'Studios that have a couple hundred employees that work on one game are going to struggle'

2026-09-04 3 stories

• Bungie Confirms Plans to Sublease Parts of Its Enormous Bellevue Headquarters Following Mass Layoffs 2 sources
• Strategically making Star Wars Zero Company, ft. Greg Foertsch
• 'No One Puts Double Fine Out of Business Except for Me' — Tim Schafer Explains How He Kept Double Fine Afloat After Leaving Xbox

2026-09-03 1 story

• How does Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney reckon we can fight the industry's "Crash 2.0"? By building more factories 2 sources

2026-09-02 1 story

• "You can’t just throw new people at that problem": Bethesda devs doubt future Elder Scrolls and Fallout games will have the same "quality level", after losing seasoned staff to Xbox cuts

2026-09-01 2 stories

• "Most" of the developers behind critically acclaimed Star Wars Zero Company were furloughed ahead of launch 9 sources
• Bethesda Devs Thought ‘Skyrim’ and ‘Fallout’ Would Protect Them From Layoffs