Until Dawn devs Supermassive announce layoffs, with 150 jobs reportedly at risk

Supermassive Games have announced a period of consultation and reorganisation that will end in job losses, as the Until Dawn developers try "to ensure the continued sustainability of the company". It follows a report that studio leadership told 150 people their jobs were at risk earlier today, with around 90 staff expected to eventually leave the business following the consultation.

The initial report came from Bloomberg - Supermassive have now confirmed the prospect of layoffs, but not the numbers. "It's no secret that the games industry is currently facing significant challenges, and unfortunately we aren't immune to this," reads an official statement, published on Xitter. "After much deliberation and with deep regret, we are therefore undertaking a reorganisation of Supermassive Games. As a result, we are entering into a period of consultation, which we anticipate will result in the loss of some of our colleagues.

"This is not a decision that's been taken lightly, with many efforts made to avoid this outcome," Supermassive's statement goes on. "We are all too aware of how unsettling and difficult this process is going to be for all our employees and will be working closely with all those involved to ensure the process is conducted as respectfully and compassionately as possible.

"We're committed to focusing our efforts on our core strengths and upcoming titles to ensure the continued sustainability of the company."

Founded in 2008, Supermassive were acquired by Nordisk Games - a subsidiary of the world's oldest active film studio - in July 2022, at the tail end of what has been widely described as a boom period for the videogames industry created by stay-at-home lockdown measures. At the time of acquisition, Supermassive had 350 people on the books, according to their About page. Nordisk also own Just Cause developers Avalanche Studios and Lords of Shadow outfit MercurySteam.

Supermassive remain beloved for Until Dawn, which is currently being remastered for PC, but have struggled to rebottle the lightning, with the subsequent Dark Pictures Anthology and The Quarry not quite garnering the same praise, though I'm not sure how well they sold. The studio's other projects include Little Nightmares 3 for Bandai Namco and The Casting Of Frank Stone, a Dead By Daylight spin-off, for Behaviour Interactive.

Supermassive's founders Pete and Joe Samuels left in January, with Pete Samuels citing poor health. "My decision is entirely on health grounds and hasn't been taken lightly," he said at the time. "I am, and always will be, proud of what Joe Samuels and I founded all those years ago and filled with admiration for the Supermassive Team and the amazing things that they have achieved."

Best of luck to everybody at the studio whose job is at risk.