Outriders Developer Other Folks Can Soar Announces Significant Job Cuts in Second Round of Layoffs This Year

Outriders developer People Can Fly has initiated its second round of layoffs within less than a year, impacting “over 120” individuals this time. This decision coincides with the cancellation or downsizing of multiple projects, with the studio attributing the changes to “external market pressures.”

In a statement regarding the recent layoffs, CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski expressed, “Today, we made a very tough choice to streamline our self-publishing strategy by halting Project Victoria, reducing our team on Project Bifrost, and reorganizing some of our support teams at People Can Fly.”

“We are truly saddened that this situation necessitates suspending or letting go of more than 120 skilled Aviators,” Wojciechowski continued, “colleagues who we cherished having as part of our team… This action was unavoidable as external market pressures exceeded our expectations. The gaming market is still evolving, and we must adapt to the state of affairs today. We’re intensifying our efforts with new work-for-hire projects and concentrating on the development of a single independent game.”

“We believe strongly in our teams, games, and their capabilities, and we remain deeply committed to continuing this journey, but we need to align our plans with our financial realities… We are profoundly appreciative of the efforts of every team member affected by this development; their skill and commitment have significantly contributed to shaping our studio and our titles. These changes are felt deeply by everyone.” Wojciechowski noted that the studio is providing “resources and support” to those impacted by the layoffs, while also remaining “equally devoted to caring for those who remain, who are facing the challenges of losing coworkers and friends.”

The latest round of layoffs at People Can Fly follows the studio’s decision to cut “over 30” positions back in January this year. These layoffs were preceded by reported changes to the budget and scope of Project Gemini – a partnership with Square Enix, which the studio had previously acknowledged was facing difficulties – and Take-Two’s