Embracer Group has canceled a new Deus Ex game in development at Eidos-Montréal, according to a new Bloomberg report. Alongside this cancelation, Eidos-Montréal, which is the studio behind 2021's Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and both Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, has revealed it is laying off 97 employees.
Bloomberg reports that Eidos-Montréal had been working on this new unannounced Deus Ex game for two years, and it was set to enter production later this year, according to sources familiar with the studio. It seems the studio's canceled game and subsequent layoffs are another casualty of Embracer, which has been purging studios after a planned $2 billion deal with Saudi Arabia-backed Savvy Games Group fell through last year.
Eidos-Montréal has not addressed the canceled Deus Ex game, and it's unlikely it will. However, the studio posted the following statement today regarding the 97 people laid off there.
"For the last 17 years, our teams at Eidos have worked on some of the most beloved brands in the industry, combining deep storytelling and innovation into unique games. We have created memorable multi-awarded experiences that we are proud of and we know our team members have put their heart and soul in all of them. "The global economic context, the challenges of our industry, and the comprehensive restructuring announced by Embracer have finally impacted our studio. The difficult decision has been made to let go 97 people from development teams, administration, and support services. "We are working to support all impacted personnel through this transition. These very talented, highly experienced people are entering the employment market, and we want them to find their next projects and are helping to do so. "As we navigate these difficult times, the well-being of our team is our priority and the continuous commitment to creating games that players will be able to enjoy in the nearby future. "To our players... it's often times not just the games but the game makers as well that we celebrate and admire. Our commitment is always to making the best games for our amazing fans and even with this restructuring change, we continue to fight on to deliver those awesome experiences for us to share together. Thank you for your continuing support and well wishes."— Eidos-Montréal (@EidosMontreal) January 29, 2024
These job cuts join a string of other disheartening 2024 layoffs, which total more than 5,500 in just the first 29 days of the year. Destroy All Humans remake developer Black Forest Games reportedly laid off 50 employees last week, and Microsoft announced it was laying off 1,900 employees across its Xbox, Activision Blizzard, and ZeniMax teams last week as well. Outriders studio People Can Fly laid off more than 30 employees last week, and League of Legends company Riot Games laid off 530 employees.
We recently learned Lords of the Fallen Publisher CI Games was laying off 10 percent of its staff, that Unity would be laying off 1,800 people by the end of March, and that Twitch had laid off 500 employees.
We also learned that Discord had laid off 170 employees, that layoffs happened at PTW, a support studio that's worked with companies like Blizzard and Capcom, and that SteamWorld Build company, Thunderful Group, let go of roughly 100 people. Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive also reportedly laid off 45 people, too.
Last year, more than 10,000 people in the games industry or game-adjacent industries were laid off.
In January of last year, Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees amidst its ongoing $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which it completed in October.
Striking Distance Studios, the team behind 2022's The Callisto Protocol, laid off more than 30 employees in August of 2023. That same month, Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare laid off 50 employees, including long-time studio veterans. The following month, in September, Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios laid off roughly 45% of its staff, and Fortnite developer Epic Games laid off 830 employees.
In October of last year, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog laid off at least 25 employees, and Telltale Games also underwent layoffs, although an actual number of affected employees has not yet been revealed. Dreams developer Media Molecule laid off 20 employees in late October.
In November, Amazon Games laid off 180 staff members, Ubisoft laid off more than 100 employees, Bungie laid off roughly 100 developers, and 505 Games' parent company, Digital Bros, laid off 30% of its staff.
In December, Embracer Group closed its reformed TimeSplitters studio, Free Radical Design, and earlier in the year, Embracer closed Saints Row developer Volition Games, a studio with more than 30 years of development history. A few weeks before the winter holidays, Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering owner Hasbro laid off 1,100 employees.
The games industry will surely feel the effects of such horrific layoffs for years to come. The hearts of the Game Informer staff are with everyone who's been affected by layoffs or closures.
[Source: Bloomberg]
Blizzard Entertainment has selected Johanna Faries as its new president following Mike Ybarra's departure from the studio last week alongside news that Microsoft was laying off 1,900 employees across its Xbox, Activision Blizzard, and ZeniMax teams. Faries worked for the National Football League for 12 years before working at Activision starting in 2018, as reported by Bloomberg. She started as the head of Call of Duty esports before eventually working as a Call of Duty franchise manager at the company Microsoft acquired last year for $69 billion.
In Faries' introductory email to Blizzard employees today, she addressed the layoffs that occurred at the company last week.
"Though my first official day with you all is February 5, I want to let you know immediately that it is an honor to join you next week in this new capacity," she writes in the email. "I do so humbly and in awe of all that Blizzard has stood for and delivered to the world for over thirty years. Today also brings some mixed emotions. The loss of talented teammates in recent days is hard to hold side-by-side with the immense excitement I feel about joining Blizzard – and building on the momentum you've created for Blizzard's next chapter."
MIT SloanElsewhere in the email, Faries discusses her history working on Call of Duty and the differences between that franchise and the franchises under Blizzard's umbrella. "Activision, Blizzard, and King are decidedly different companies with distinct games, cultures, and communities," she writes. "It is important to note that Call of Duty's way of waking up in the morning to deliver for players can often differ from the stunning games in Blizzard's realm: each with different gameplay experiences, communities that surround them, and requisite models of success." Faries says she's discussed these differences with the Blizzard leadership team and is stepping into this role "with sensitivity to those dynamics, and deep respect for Blizzard."
Faries will be arriving to Blizzard's Irvine, California-based headquarters next week to informally (and optionally) meet with employees there. In her email, she says she's a big Diablo IV fan and throughout life, "the joy I find in games – and working with those who make them – only deepens."
"I remain inspired by Blizzard's iconic legacy, and the transformative role gaming has played in my life and in the lives of others," she writes. "I cannot wait to get going – to listen, to learn, to empower, and to collaborate with all of you on our bold and bright future together. Together, may we forge many legendary days ahead."
You can read Faries' full email here.
Faries steps into the role of Blizzard's president following news last week that Mike Ybarra, who had worked at the company since 2019, was leaving. Before Blizzard, Ybarra worked at Microsoft for more than 19 years.
How do you feel about the future of Blizzard following last week's layoffs and its new president? Let us know in the comments below!
Between Tekken 8, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and the impending release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, 2024 is off to an explosive start, but the rest of the year is still up in the air. Luckily for PlayStation fans, Sony is pulling the curtain back on some games coming soon to its platforms this Wednesday, January 31, at 2 P.M. Pacific/5 P.M. Eastern. Check out the X announcement below.
Get ready for a new State of Play! https://t.co/KDyuY2Uvfq
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) January 29, 2024
Tune in on YouTube, Twitch, or TikTok this Wednesday at 2pm PT / 10pm GMT for 40 minutes covering 15+ games, including extended looks at Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin, plus more from talented game developers from… pic.twitter.com/MQg76iv8Tt
The showcase will specifically show off extended looks at Stellar Blade and Rise of the Rōnin. The former title, previously known as Project Eve, is a stylish action-adventure game that's been teased since 2019. The last we heard, it was delayed into this year, so we're due for a proper look. The latter game is the next project from Team Ninja, the developers behind the Nioh series. It's the studio's most ambitious project to date – check out our December preview here.
As for the other 13+ games, we don't have much of an idea. We know it won't include Naughty Dog's recently canceled Last of Us multiplayer spin-off, and we've gone a while without big reveals for a lot of Sony's first-party studios, so hopefully, it can shed some light on the rest of the company's 2024.
What are you hoping to see at Wednesday's State of Play? Let us know in the comments!