Summary
Yet another series of video game industry layoffs has hit workers, asWB Games Montrealhas reportedly let go of 99 of its development studio quality assurance team members. Major cutbacks and restructurings have plagued the industry since the summer of 2023, andWB Games Montrealis the latest among many to announce another round of layoffs.
Both independent and AAA video game studios have faced waves of workforce reductions over the past year and a half, with big names like Sony, Embracer Group, Bungie, Sega, andMicrosoft announcing massive layoffs. Thousands of employees have been let go and dozens of in-development projects have been canceled, with audiences debating the source and necessity of these unfortunate trends. While many were hopeful that 2024 would have a gentler end for developers, the team at WB Games Montreal has unfortunately been caught up in the industry-wide cutbacks.
According to sources in contact withCBC Radio Canada, WB Montreal Canada announced the elimination of 99 internal jobs during a staff meeting. The sources allege that the layoffs targeted the quality assurance team that helped to work on thepoorly receivedSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. CBC Radio Canada claims that multiple anonymous staff members who were hit by the layoffs said they were given the option of either speaking with a job placement counselor or adding their names to a recall list for potential rehiring in 2026. One of the former staff alleges that the studio had assured team members over the summer that there would be plenty of new projects to work on but then announced a lack of such projects as the reason for the terminations. At the time of writing, WB Games Montreal has not issued an official statement on the reported layoffs.
WB Games Montreal Reportedly Eliminates 99 Staff
While there has been no official confirmation on the layoff reports at WB Games Montreal, many are speculating that the poor performance ofSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueforced the studio to make these cutbacks. Some speculate that the nowcanceled updates toSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguemay have been the “new projects” that were planned during the summer at WB Games Montreal, and their cancelation has resulted in those projects no longer being available and thus the team members no longer having work to complete. Whether this is truly the case remains to be confirmed, but many remain weary of the long-term impact of the alleged staffing changes at WB Games Montreal and other studios.
AfterRocksteady announced staff layoffsearlier this year in response to the struggles ofSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, many worried that others involved in the development of the title may also face financial repercussions. Now that layoffs are being reported atWB Games Montreal, audiences are keeping a skeptical eye on the possible fate of other workforces connected to the project.
