Surgent Studios, the developer behind Tales of Kenzera: Zau, has introduced it’s shedding simply over a dozen staff. This follows the discharge of its first sport, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, again in April, which launched to good critiques.
Surgent does not clarify why; it says it is specializing in supporting these affected, persevering with work on Tales of Kenzera: Zau, and waiting for future tasks.
This is the studio’s assertion, in full:
“Sadly, Surgent has joined the rising variety of video games studios impacted by layoffs this 12 months with simply over a dozen folks affected. It is a troublesome time within the video games trade, however we stay extremely happy with our complete group’s work on Zau, and of the reward it has obtained from critics and gamers alike. Our focus now’s on supporting these affected, persevering with our work on Zau, and seeking to the long run with our subsequent artistic tasks.”
Studio head and founder Abubakar Salim, who additionally voiced the titular Zau within the group’s first sport, launched his personal assertion addressing the layoffs:
“Thanks a lot to those that have checked in. This hurts deeply. This is not the information I needed to share as we speak. I’m so happy with what that group have achieved over the course of those 4 years. When issues obtained robust, each certainly one of them stood so robust, it was inspiring. So to be delivering this information as we speak actually sucks. I do know we’re not alone right here, however that does not make it simpler.
“The main target now’s to proceed supporting these affected in anyway we will. I can be replying to this with hyperlinks to posts from our affected group members. You probably have any alternatives out there or know of any going, please contemplate these unbelievable gifted folks.”
Surgent Studios grows an sadly ever-growing record of studios affected by layoffs in 2024.
Final month, Paradox Interactive closed its Paradox Tectonic Studio the identical week it canceled its first sport, Life by You. Earlier that month, Useless by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive laid off 95 staff. Fae Farm and Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs laid off the vast majority of its employees and canceled its in-development video games again in Might, and that very same week, Sq. Enix introduced it’s going to start layoffs as a part of “structural reforms.”
In Might, Xbox closed 4 Bethesda studios, together with Hello-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall studio Arkane Austin. Take-Two Interactive closed Rollerdrome studio Roll7 and Kerbal House Program 2 studio Intercept Video games alongside main layoffs to its indie-publisher Non-public Division label. That very same week, we realized Ship Us Mars developer Keoken Interactive had laid off practically its complete employees.
Elsewhere within the 12 months, EA laid off roughly 670 staff throughout all departments, ensuing within the cancellation of Respawn’s Star Wars FPS sport. PlayStation laid off 900 staff throughout Insomniac, Naughty Canine, Guerrilla, and extra, closing down London Studio within the course of, too. The day earlier than, Till Daybreak developer Supermassive Video games introduced it laid off 90 staff.
On the finish of January, we realized Embracer Group had canceled a brand new Deus Ex sport in improvement at Eidos-Montréal and laid off 97 staff within the course of. Additionally in January, Destroy All People remake developer Black Forest Video games reportedly laid off 50 staff and Microsoft introduced it was shedding 1,900 staff throughout its Xbox, Activision Blizzard, and ZeniMax groups, as nicely. Outriders studio Individuals Can Fly laid off greater than 30 staff in January, and League of Legends firm Riot Video games laid off 530 staff.
Lords of the Fallen Writer CI Video games laid off 10 p.c of its employees, Unity will lay off 1,800 folks by the tip of March, and Twitch laid off 500 staff.
We additionally realized that Discord had laid off 170 staff, that layoffs occurred at PTW, a help studio that is labored with firms like Blizzard and Capcom, and that SteamWorld Construct firm, Thunderful Group, let go of roughly 100 folks. Useless by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive additionally reportedly laid off 45 folks, too.
The hearts of the Recreation Informer employees are with everybody who’s been affected by layoffs or closures.
