Layoffs
Ongoing coverage on Layoffs.
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Australian mobile studio Halfbrick to cut 41 members of staff
Australian mobile game developer Halfbrick Studios is laying off 41 employees due to challenging industry conditions and strategic priorities. The company, known for hits like Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, is seeking new opportunities for the affected staff.
MindsEye Studio Claims Corporate Sabotage Behind Game’s Failed Launch
Build A Rocket Boy, the studio behind the game MindsEye, has announced layoffs and is pursuing legal action, alleging organized espionage and corporate sabotage contributed to the game's difficult launch. The studio claims to have evidence of these coordinated attacks, which they believe actively worked to make the game fail. This public legal action sets a precedent in the industry, raising questions about the prevalence of such tactics and their impact on game development and employment.
VR specialist nDreams proposes layoffs and two studio closures
VR specialist nDreams has proposed layoffs and the closure of two studios. Separately, MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy, founded by Leslie Benzies, announced its second round of job cuts in eight months, alleging corporate sabotage.
Lawsuit indicates Fortnite leaker actually worked for Epic Games
Build A Rocket Boy, founded by Leslie Benzies, has announced its second round of layoffs in eight months, citing 'corporate sabotage'. The article also mentions a lawsuit indicating a Fortnite leaker may have worked for Epic Games.
Co-founder claims Activision put ″pressure″ on Infinity Ward to make game about Iran invading Israel
A co-founder of Infinity Ward has claimed that Activision pressured the studio to develop a game centered around Iran invading Israel. Separately, MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy, founded by Leslie Benzies, announced its second round of layoffs in eight months, alleging corporate sabotage.
Velan Studios expands into Canada to build 'breakthrough games'
MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy, founded by former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies, has announced its second round of layoffs in eight months. The studio also alleges 'corporate sabotage'.
Ubisoft Employee Says It’s “Far From Impossible” For It to Make a Big Hit Again
An anonymous Ubisoft employee believes the company can still produce a hit game despite widespread criticism for mismanagement and disappointing releases. The employee cited a lack of accountability within leadership for development issues and layoffs, but expressed optimism about a new structure involving "creative houses" aimed at addressing past problems and fostering innovation. This comes amidst ongoing employee concerns, union calls for CEO Yves Guillemot's resignation, and accusations of nepotism and lack of diversity.
Maverick Games reveals first screenshot of new AAA driving game
Maverick Games has revealed the first screenshot of its upcoming AAA driving game. In separate news, mobile developer Halfbrick has laid off 41 employees, citing a challenging period for the games industry and organizational priorities.
More Layoffs At Build A Rocket Boy As The Company Once Again Blames Sabotage
Build A Rocket Boy has announced a third round of layoffs, with co-CEO Mark Gerhard citing external factors such as espionage and sabotage as contributing challenges. The company claims to have overwhelming evidence of organized espionage and corporate sabotage affecting their game, MindsEye, and is pursuing legal action. Gerhard expressed regret over the painful decision to let colleagues go.
MindsEye developer Build A Rocket Boy's co-CEO blames "organised espionage and corporate sabotage" again, while announcing new wave of layoffs
Build A Rocket Boy, the developer of MindsEye, has announced another wave of layoffs following disappointing results from its latest update. Co-CEO Mark Gerhard reiterated claims of "organised espionage and corporate sabotage" impacting the game's development, stating the matter is moving towards prosecution. This follows previous reports of management installing monitoring software on employee machines.
Build a Rocket Boy Announces More Layoffs, CEO Still Claiming Sabotage
Developer Build a Rocket Boy has announced another round of layoffs, with co-CEO Mark Gerhard attributing the situation to 'organized espionage' and corporate sabotage. Gerhard claims the studio has evidence of a smear campaign costing over one million euros, involving influencers, journalists, and employees, and intends to pursue legal action. The company also mentioned upcoming layoffs at Square Enix.
MindsEye Dev Build a Rocket Boy Blames Further Layoffs on "Organized Espionage"
Build a Rocket Boy has conducted further layoffs, with CEO Mark Gerhard attributing the decision to "organized espionage" and "corporate sabotage" surrounding the launch of their game, MindsEye. The studio claims to have "overwhelming evidence" of criminal activity and is pursuing prosecution, though this is not the first time such accusations have been made.
nDreams announces restructuring with "significant" staff reduction, two studios closed
VR developer nDreams has announced a significant restructuring, including the closure of its Brighton-based Near Light studio and the Compass team, resulting in 78 jobs being at risk. The company's CEO, Tom Gillo, cited challenging market conditions for the painful decision, aiming to focus on the Elevation studio and XR R&D. This news follows similar reductions in VR investment from companies like Meta.
VR specialist nDreams proposes significant layoffs and two studio closures
VR studio nDreams has proposed a significant restructuring plan that includes the closure of two internal studios, Near Light and Compass, and puts 78 employees at risk of redundancy. The company cited challenging market conditions in the VR games sector as the reason for these necessary changes to ensure future viability. CEO Tim Gillo expressed his belief in the VR medium despite the commercial difficulties.
MindsEye developer announces more layoffs while alleging 'corporate sabotage'
Build A Rocket Boy (BARB), the studio founded by Leslie Benzies, has announced a second round of layoffs, citing "organized espionage and corporate sabotage" affecting their game MindsEye. CEO Mark Gerhard stated that evidence of criminal activity has been gathered and is moving towards prosecution, impacting the studio's ability to support the game and leading to further job cuts.
MindsEye studio confirm more layoffs, as CEO claims they've got "overwhelming evidence of organised espionage and corporate sabotage"
Build a Rocket Boy has announced further layoffs, with CEO Mark Gerhard citing "overwhelming evidence of organised espionage and corporate sabotage" as a reason for the cuts. Gerhard claims that legal investigations are ongoing and will lead to prosecution, though former staff have accused management of mismanagement and enforcing crunch.
Business and Finance
Build a Rocket Boy has confirmed further layoffs amidst allegations of internal espionage and corporate sabotage. The company is facing significant challenges as it continues development on its ambitious new title.
MindsEye studio claims it now has 'overwhelming evidence of organized espionage and corporate sabotage' that somehow made its game bad, and also it's laying off more people
The CEO of Build a Rocket Boy, Mark Gerhard, claims the studio has evidence of organized espionage and corporate sabotage that negatively impacted the launch of their game, MindsEye. Despite these allegations, the studio is implementing another round of layoffs due to the game's poor performance. Developers and publisher IO Interactive have previously disputed these claims, pointing to internal mismanagement as the cause of the game's failure.
Build a Rocket Boy confirms more layoffs amid further claims of "organized espionage and corporate sabotage"
Build a Rocket Boy has confirmed further layoffs, citing a difficult industry period and allegations of "organized espionage and corporate sabotage" impacting the launch of their game, MindsEye. CEO Mark Gerhard stated that an ongoing investigation into criminal activity has yielded overwhelming evidence, with the matter progressing towards prosecution. The studio is reducing its size to ensure long-term future and support departing employees.
"Espionage And Corporate Sabotage" Blamed For MindsEye Launch, As Dev Announces Layoffs
Build A Rocket Boy co-CEO Mark Gerhard has blamed corporate espionage and sabotage for the poor reception of the game MindsEye, while also announcing studio layoffs. Gerhard stated that an investigation has uncovered overwhelming evidence of criminal activity, with details to be revealed as the matter moves toward prosecution. The game received a low score of 3/10 from GameSpot and experienced a troubled launch, with developers reportedly working overtime to fix numerous issues.
