#gaming

Embracer Group faced significant financial issues and widespread layoffs. A $2 billion deal collapsed, resulting in thousands of job cuts and studio closures. New CEO Phil Rogers aims to restore the company's damaged reputation. He hopes to rebuild trust with both gamers and the broader industry. Future company acquisitions will now be fully funded by organic cash flow.

https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/2-billion-mess-saw-thousands-175713470.html

G5 Entertainment announced plans to lay off 180 employees. This reduction accounts for almost a quarter of the company's workforce. The company expects to save approximately $6.2 million annually through this cost reduction program. CEO Vlad Suglobov called the decision difficult but necessary. Further layoffs might occur if revenue declines and player acquisition costs rise.

https://wnhub.io/news/hr/item-50765

VR game developer Survios has reportedly laid off much of its staff. Employee LinkedIn posts indicate the studio's operations may effectively halt. One designer stated Survios would be "essentially shuttered." The company recently expanded beyond VR to PC and consoles. Survios has not yet publicly commented on the situation.

https://www.uploadvr.com/survios-reportedly-sees-critical-layoffs/

Behaviour Interactive recently laid off approximately 40 employees. Rumors circulated online regarding the reasons for these layoffs. Allegations suggested the layoffs were due to unionization efforts or opposition to AI. Behaviour Interactive denied these claims, stating they were unrelated. The company explained the cuts stemmed from decreased demand for mobile and casual game development.

Montreal, QC

https://wnhub.io/news/hr/item-50700

Is it now a fact that Sony won and Microsoft will simply lick its wounds and step away from Xbox and gaming in general? Am I being too paranoid, because that's certainly how it feels to me.

Iron Galaxy Studios announced new layoffs. The company is reducing its size due to industry changes. Up to 90 employees could be affected by this decision. This follows a previous layoff of 66 employees last year. The studio aims to adapt to current market conditions.

https://gamingbolt.com/iron-galaxy-studios-announces-layoffs-potentially-affecting-90-employees

The gaming industry is experiencing significant layoffs. Sony, EA, and Supermassive Games reduced their workforces. Star Citizen also implemented staff cuts. These events were reported around March 2026. The sector faces ongoing challenges.

https://fathomjournal.org/a2aedd58smm/d9024c49-BfBU6xGz_W4.html

How is this business holding up ?

With all the cuts and layoffs, I'm starting to worry I won't live to see the day.

Layoffs have occurred at Riot Games, a prominent video game developer. The company is reportedly facing challenges in diversifying its game portfolio beyond its highly successful title, League of Legends. These job cuts are specifically impacting the team working on the upcoming fighting game, 2XKO. The layoffs suggest an internal struggle for the company to expand its creative reach and market presence. This development indicates potential strategic realignments or financial pressures affecting the gaming giant.

https://www.polygon.com/riot-games-2xko-layoffs/

Microsoft’s Xbox hardware revenue has declined for three financial years in a row, and it looks like those declining revenues are going to continue throughout fiscal 2026. Xbox hardware revenue was down 32 percent year-over-year during the recent holiday quarter. Overall gaming revenue was also down 9 percent.

https://www.theverge.com/news/869493/microsoft-q2-2026-earnings-revenue-profits-windows-xbox-gaming-surface

It also appears that more layoffs may be in Ubisoft's future too. We already knew that their Halifax studio is being shuttered, but according to VGC, the company is also considering the sale of other assets. On top of this, CFO Frederick Duguet said, "There are some people who will be refocused on other big projects, and some may leave the company." An exact figure wasn't specified in terms of staff members being moved or laid off.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time-remake-and-more-cancelled-by-ubisoft-with-layoffs-potentially-on-the-horizon

Elder Scrolls Online developer Zenimax Online Studios has disputed that its recent pivot to smaller "season" expansions or chapters is related to Microsoft's layoffs and a smaller team.

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/elder-scrolls-onlines-pivot-to-smaller-seasons-is-is-not-in-any-way-a-response-to-microsofts-layoffs

https://se7en.ws/mass-layoffs-at-warner-bros-games-key-employees-affected/?lang=en

Rockstar Games adopted strict internal measures by firing dozens of employees involved in sharing information about Grand Theft Auto VI. Essas actions occurred after discussions on external channels considered insecure, which included unauthorized people.

https://www.mixvale.com.br/2026/01/10/rockstar-indirectly-validates-leaked-gta-6-details-with-employee-layoffs-on-insecure-channels-en/amp/

This has been confirmed in a statement on social media, where CEO Denny Unger revealed that "due to industry forces beyond control" the developer is being forced to lay off around 70% of its staff, with the cuts happening as of tomorrow, January 7. 30% of the developers will remain employed to "continue the mission."

https://www.gamereactor.eu/pi---l-whip-developer-cloudhead-games-is-facing-major-layoffs-70-of-studio-laid-off-1656613/

1 or 2 Managerial staff laid off recently on gaming side.

Outright Games is making 27 employees redundant. The Chicken Run: Eggstraction and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed publisher said the decision will enable it to adapt to shifting market conditions.

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/uk-publisher-outright-games-confirms-layoffs

• 'Grand Theft Auto VI' was delayed again to November 2026, roughly around the time of Rockstar Games' layoffs controversy.
• Layoffs at Rockstar Edinburgh cited confidentiality breaches; employees claim union organizing motivated firings.
• City councillor and union push for fired employees’ reinstatement and financial support.

https://www.mensjournal.com/news/rockstar-faces-motion-reverse-layoffs-gta-6-delay-concerns

For fans dreaming of returning to Middle-earth in a new, next-gen adventure, the news isn’t good. Amazon’s ambitious Lord of the Rings MMORPG, which had been in development since early 2023, has reportedly been cancelled.

https://geektyrant.com/news/amazons-lord-of-the-ring-mmorpg-reportedly-cancelled-after-massive-layoffs

http://techrights.org/n/2025/11/13/It_Looks_Like_Microsoft_is_Really_Abandoning_XBox_the_Brand_XBo.shtml

Mass layoffs at Square Enix are now underway, and they could potentially affect over 100 employees at the company across the US and the UK.

https://gamerant.com/square-enix-layoffs-november-2025/

Amazon Games is winding down support for New World: Aeternum amid layoffs in the division and even deeper job cuts across its parent company. The game debuted on PC in 2021 and it landed on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S just over a year ago.

https://www.engadget.com/amazon-is-winding-down-its-still-popular-new-world-mmo-amid-mass-layoffs-150500426.html

The company used euphemisms like “as part of our ongoing evolution” to “strengthen our roadmap” to describe a plan that introduces a “voluntary career transition program.”

https://www.thestreet.com/employment/ubisoft-soft-layoffs-expected-after-latest-announcment

http://techrights.org/n/2025/10/19/Symptoms_of_Upcoming_Microsoft_Layoffs_in_XBox.shtml

ttps://www.thegamer.com/call-of-duty-glen-schofield-microsoft-bad-for-series/

https://www.altchar.com/game-news/xbox-handheld-reportedly-cancelled-as-microsoft-refuses-amds-10m-unit-commitment-aBH892X2KHCa

Funcom, the studio behind Dune: Awakening, has announced it will lay off some employees as part of a restructuring effort. The news may come as a surprise to many fans in light of the MMO's widespread popularity since release, although the team has dealt with its fair share of issues, too. Regardless, while work on Dune: Awakening will continue, not all the original staff will be involved in it going forward.

https://gamerant.com/dune-awakening-developer-funcom-layoffs/

https://www.tweaktown.com/news/108067/microsoft-xbox-could-be-dead-rumors-suggest-hardware-production-has-ceased-on-xbox-consoles/index.html

https://tech4gamers.com/xbox-layoffs-expected-q1-2026/

https://www.inkl.com/news/as-microsoft-lays-off-thousands-and-jacks-up-game-pass-prices-former-ftc-chair-says-i-told-you-so-the-activision-blizzard-buyout-is-harming-both-gamers-and-developers

Electronic Arts, headquartered in Redwood City, California, has sought to reassure employees following its massive $55 billion buyout. The company told staff through an FAQ filed with the SEC that there will be no immediate layoffs or job changes as a result of the deal, despite rumors circulating after Insider Gaming reported that employees at subsidiary BioWare feared cuts.

The FAQ emphasized that the acquisition allows EA to operate privately, outside the pressures of quarterly market expectations, and to take a longer-term approach to investment. EA said this new structure will give the company more creative and operational flexibility to pursue bold strategies and expand globally.

Still, the company acknowledged the reality of its financial obligations, including $20 billion in debt linked to funding the transaction. The buyout was backed by a consortium that includes PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. While Electronic Arts has insisted that no layoffs are planned in the short term, comparisons have been drawn to Microsoft’s handling of Activision Blizzard, where workforce reductions eventually followed after a delay.

EA maintains that it is in a strong financial position and will use the buyout to “unlock new opportunities,” but uncertainty remains among employees about what the long-term impact might be.

Just calling it now. Don't act like private equity magically cares about the employees. They care about the rights to the IP. They'll only keep the bare minimum number of employees needed to pump out sports titles lol.

According to the AEM guidelines, in-office presence is based on business needs rather than a strict requirement. The "three days per week" guideline is flexible and intended as general guidance. Your manager may request more or fewer days in the office depending on team needs.

Time spent in the office can be minimal, even as little as one hour, and arrival time is flexible unless you are expected to attend a scheduled meeting. Once that obligation is fulfilled, you are free to leave.

If you prefer or need to attend meetings virtually while in the office, for example due to health concerns or other personal reasons, that is also acceptable.

In practice, this means I will go into the office, find an available desk, join the meeting virtually from there, and then leave once it is concluded.

We saw Ubisoft make more layoffs in the wake of a staggering $1.25 billion investment from Tencent and then flounder when pressed by Game File as to whether its upcoming expansion for As-----n's Creed Mirage was financed by the Saudi state.

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/ubisoft-continues-layoffs-after-billion-dollar-investment-is-saudi-arabia-financing-an-as-----n-s-creed-expansion-and-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-silksong-patch-notes-21

Over the last three years, it is estimated that at least 30,000 people have lost their jobs in the gaming industry, with 4,400 of those cuts taking place in 2025 alone. Most recently, it was announced that Microsoft had made company-wide reductions affecting several of its gaming studios, including Rare, The Initiative, and King, with the cancellation of Perfect Dark's reboot eventually leading to layoffs at Crystal Dynamics.

https://hitmarker.net/news/over-50-of-layoffs-in-the-gaming-industry-have-taken-place-in-california-expert-says-1513194

Layoff Record12

• Civilization VII and Marvel's Midnight Suns Studio Firaxis Hit by Layoffs | TechRaptor>>

  https://opencritic.com/news/21101/civilization-vii-and-marvels-midnight-suns-studio-firaxis-hit-by-layoffs-techraptor
  Layoffs have struck at Marvel's Midnight Suns and Civilization VII studio Firaxis, with "dozens" of employees reportedly affected.
  Company: Firaxis Games
  Industry: Gaming

Microsoft's cancellation of Perfect Dark reportedly caused a ripple effect that left developers at Crystal Dynamics fighting for their livelihoods.

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-crystal-dynamics-layoffs-came-after-developers-scrambled-to-save-perfect-dark

Crystal Dynamics - Redwood City CA (studio) - Development/studio staff - The Tomb Raider developer conducted a second round of layoffs this year due to shifting business conditions; exact numbers were not disclosed, but the studio emphasized support for impacted staff.

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/tomb-raider-dev-crystal-dynamics-hit-by-layoffs-for-second-time-this-year-and-im-sick-of-writing-this-headline

https://esportsinsider.com/2025/08/450-more-blizzard-developers-unionise-following-microsoft-layoffs