Epic Games is currently going through some tumultuous times. The Fortnite creators have come under fire from netizens for laying off almost 16 percent of their employees in the name of cutting costs. But studios like Netflix Games and 343 Industries have come forward as a ray of sunshine for the laid-off devs.
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Unfortunately, major studios like Ubisoft and Blizzard have started to follow suit with Epic Games. They have also started to lay off employees in the name of cost-cutting. However, these layoffs are not as massive as compared to Epic Games’ layoffs.
Ubisoft and Blizzard are following the path of Epic Games
Recently netizens started to discover multiple now-former Ubisoft employees tweeting out about a layoff. Ubisoft PR later confirmed employees were laid off from the US and Spain branches. The statement given by Ubisoft read, “Ubisoft’s Community and Social Media team is evolving its organization to focus on where we can have a significant impact in order to more effectively drive player-centric communications.”
Ubisoft PR just confirmed to me that six people on the community and social media team were laid off: pic.twitter.com/gKoiQpqDQn
— Nicole Carpenter (@sweetpotatoes) September 28, 2023
Following this news, news about the layoff of devs from Blizzard also started to circle the internet. This has led to many netizens to worry about the state of the game industry right now. Industry pundits have started to fear the ripple effects of these layoffs happening at major game studios.
Huge layoffs across the gaming industry today.
Epic Games laid off around 900 people and there are reports of layoffs at Ubisoft and Blizzard too.
It's sad that in such a great year for gaming, the people actually making the games are the ones suffering. 😔 pic.twitter.com/ZbqcLW00U4
— Okami Games (@Okami13_) September 28, 2023
Furthermore, these layoffs come at a bad time for the gaming industry. While the major companies are facing the threat of an oncoming strike from SAG-AFTRA, news of layoffs does not further their cause of reaching an agreement with the union.
A ray of hope for the laid-off developers
In this trying time for the gaming industry, studios like Netflix Games and 343 Industries have earned the praise of netizens. Both studios have opened their doors to new candidates and are actively welcoming people laid off by Epic Games and other studios to apply.
Read More: “THEY DON’T MAKE GAMES!”: Epic Games CEO Takes a Furious Dig at Apple and Google
In the meanwhile, Epic Games and Ubisoft have declared cost-cutting to be the reason for these layoffs, implying a possible recession in the gaming industry. While there is yet to be an official statement from Activision Blizzard, they have also come under fire from netizens. What are your thoughts on the layoffs undertaken by major game studios? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Written by
Edited by
Ananya Giri