The gaming industry has become familiar with workforce reductions in recent years, but this summer could bring one of the most significant waves of layoffs yet. While much of the attention is currently focused on the situation surrounding Xbox and its studios, other major companies may also be preparing for difficult decisions.
Earlier this spring, reports emerged about challenges at Nacon. More recently, concerns were raised about a potential bankruptcy at DON’T NOD and the closure of two Ubisoft divisions. Now, French media outlets are reporting that several well-known studios could soon face major restructuring efforts.
Journalist Sylvain Trinel claims that Bungie may lay off at least 400 employees, representing roughly half of the company's workforce. The reported reasons include the winding down of Destiny 2 content support, the underwhelming performance of Marathon, and Sony's apparent lack of interest in funding Destiny 3.
According to Trinel, Bungie may not be the only studio affected.
«The situation at XBOX is only the beginning of a bloodbath for studios owned by major publishers. Besides DON’T NOD and Quantic Dream, layoffs will also affect many other well-known companies. This is a real catastrophe», «If I were you, I would keep an eye on id Software, Bethesda and BioWare. What I heard today does not inspire optimism. And this is only the beginning»
A second report comes from the French outlet STJV, which claims that Quantic Dream is planning to cut 115 positions. The report links the move to the company's unsuccessful publishing efforts, the shutdown of the online game Spellcasters Chronicles, and the prolonged development of Star Wars Eclipse, which was originally announced in 2021.
Unfortunately, there is little indication that the industry's difficulties will be limited to the studios mentioned above. If current reports prove accurate, more restructuring efforts and layoffs could be announced across the gaming sector later this year.
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