Reflector Announces Additional Layoffs Following Disappointing Performance of Unknown 9
Unknown 9: Awakening developer Reflector Leisure has announced layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of employees following the discontinuation of work on an upcoming project.
The studio, owned by Bandai Namco, stated that continuing efforts on the unnamed project, which was still in the planning stage, had become “unsustainable.”
In a statement shared on Linkedin, Reflector’s CEO Herve Hoerdt confirmed that this decision will lead to layoffs.
“This choice is directly linked to the underperformance of the studio’s ambitious and bold initial project, a new IP featuring an extensive transmedia universe. The launch did not meet the company’s expectations, even after several timeline shifts and significant investments, both financially and otherwise, and did not justify any further development in this universe,” Hoerdt expressed.
“Regrettably, this also has repercussions for back-office personnel, aligning the support teams with the single project strategy the studio will follow in the near future. Where feasible, employees will be reassigned to this project, which is based on an existing Bandai Namco IP and is progressing quite well.”
The initial project was Unknown 9, a fantasy action-adventure game presented as the primary installment in an “interconnected” transmedia universe.
Reflector indicated that it aimed to create a significant “storyworld” across multiple platforms, but has now acknowledged that Unknown 9 failed to meet expectations.
This stands in stark contrast to the assessment made last year, when Reflector laid off 18 percent of its workforce but asserted that the decision was unrelated to “commercial success or external pressures.”
Regarding the recent layoffs, Hoerdt mentioned that Reflector will support those affected with “appropriate” severance packages, extended health benefits, continued access to counseling services, and proactive career planning assistance.
He also stated that Reflector’s parent company Bandai Namco may continue to invest in “Western content for global audiences.”
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