11 Bit Studios quietly laid off eight employees on the dwell of 2023
Image by machine of 11 Bit Studios.
Sport Developer has realized that eight builders from 11 Bit Studios have been let roam in December 2023, and it went with out level out by the Frostpunk 2 creator.
Simply at present, dilapidated studio author Anna Sokalska outlined that it has been “9 months after layoffs at 11 Bit, [and] I am nonetheless trying to find a job.” At 11 Bit, she develop into as quickly as a memoir fashion designer on an unnanounced mission.
Chatting with that mission, a spokesperson for 11 Bit knowledgeable Sport Developer that the mission had handed by machine of “manufacturing modifications,” which led to the reductions. “A number of folks have been let go or switched to different groups,” they mentioned.
Why originate all folks is aware of (or need to perceive) what number of layoffs happen?
Usually, layoffs (or the menace of them) might perchance moreover goal moreover be excessive-profile information, each on chronicle of of their scale, well-known departures, or the sheer amount of them at a time.
However no longer each studio is originate about when it cuts staff. The information might perchance moreover goal moreover be detrimental to their repute, invite harassment onto these let roam, or spur discussions about what leadership did (or did not originate) to dwell them from occurring.
Closing 12 months, for example, Harebrained Schemes quietly laid off a foremost fragment (“80 % or so,” claimed an ex-employee) of its staff. The reductions have been accomplished that summer time season before the initiating for its then-upcoming title, The Lamplighters League.
Paradox Interactive, then-owner of Harebrained, later confirmed the layoffs. On the time, these have been caught up in Paradox writing off Lamplighters as a $22 million loss correct per week after release, and the sport already being deemed a industrial failure.
However succor then, Paradox by no means outlined why it elected to decrease staff as a result of the sport develop into as quickly as in its “final section” of pattern. Initially of 2024, Harebrained absolutely cut up off from Paradox and develop into goal all as quickly as extra.
Later that month, BattleTech and Shadowrun: Dragonfall director Mike McCain returned to Harebrained as an government producer after spending a couple of years working at Netflilx and Sony Animation.
11 Bit Studios’ causes for letting eight employees roam are nowhere shut to as grievous as a result of the circumstances confronted by Harebrained Schemes. It represents a extra dreary—though soundless nerve-racking—motive for layoffs: assuredly, a mission is not always in fact understanding the machine wherein a agency idea, and it decides the reply is to lower staffing.
Replace: This legend beforehand incorrectly mentioned that Anna Sokalska referred to the unnamed 11 Bit Video video games mission as “Gord.” This legend develop into as quickly as no longer the title of the mission, and this legend has been up so a long way accordingly.
In regards to the Creator
Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com
A Kansas Metropolis, MO native, Justin Carter has written for various web sites at the side of IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to to Sport Developer, his writing might perchance moreover goal moreover be came upon at io9 over on Gizmodo. Invent no longer ask him about how highly effective gum he is had, on chronicle of the reply will seemingly be better than he is engrossing to confess.