Summary
People Can Flyis announcing that the game studio has axed over 100 jobs in recent layoffs. The surprising move fromPeople Can Flycomes just before the end of 2024 and winter holiday season.
People Can Fly’s most recent best-known release is likelyOutriders, which saw mixed reviews, but over three million players within a month of its launch back in 2021. After acquiring Incuvo, People Can Fly and Incuvo launchedGreen Hell VRin 2022, andBulletstorm VRreleased earlier in 2024. The remaining projects the studio has been working on have seen some shakeups, with People Can Fly’s Project Dagger having been canceled outright earlier in the year.
Now,People Can Fly CEO Sebastian Wojciechowskihas issued a statement on the studio’s official social media accounts, acknowledging that the company has chosen to cut more than 120 jobs from the company. It seems another pair of projects have seen cuts, with Project Bifrost “scaling down” and Project Victoria being outright suspended. Wojciechowski explains that due to “external market pressures,” adjustments were necessary, resulting in these lost jobs. CEO Wojciechowski continued, explaining that the studio will be providing “resources” to aid those who have been laid off. He also reinforced that the company wants to ensure that the remaining team members feel “supported.”
Game Development Continues to See Major Layoffs
Unfortunately, feeling supported may not be the easiest thing, even for game developers who have managed to escape recent layoffs. The trend of game companies cutting jobs has continued throughout 2024, with People Can Fly starting out 2024 by cutting over 30 positions. People Can Fly isn’t an outlier, though, as everything from tiny studios to mega corporations have seen layoffs this year.Microsoft cut over 600 jobs in its Xbox gaming division, Bungie slashed over 200 jobs, component and peripheral companies like AMD and Corsair axed positions, andLife Is Strange: Double Exposure’s developer announced job cuts of its own just days prior to People Can Fly doing so.
While the future isn’t certain, it seems likely that jobs will continue to be lost in the gaming industry in 2025, as well. Some are concerned thatproposed tariffs could impact gaming, driving up prices and potentially damaging sales. However, even if the tariffs don’t affect games and consoles, the industry is still having difficulties, even with projected increases to video game revenue forecasted through 2028. Whether mismanagement, overhiring, poor sales performance, shareholder demands, or something else is to blame, these shifts have led to some game developers exiting the industry entirely as they search for more stable work.
