Leading Polish game developer People Can Fly has reportedly laid off over 30 employees as job losses continue to plague the video game industry. People Can Fly confirmed the layoffs after Kotaku learned that over 30 people working on the upcoming project Gemini had been let go. Another 20 employees working on the game, which is being developed in partnership with Square Enix, were reassigned to other projects within the company.
“We understand that this decision affects each and every one of you, and we want to express our gratitude for your hard work, dedication, and contributions thus far,” said Adam Alker, the director of development, in an email to the employees.
“For those leaving the studio as a result of these changes, we want to extend our sincere thanks for the skills and experience you brought to the team. We wish you the best in your future endeavors in the gaming industry and offer our full support.”
The Polish developer has previously released games such as Bulletstorm VR in 2024, Green Hell VR in 2022, and Outriders in 2021. This cooperative loot shooter was also published by Square Enix and received mixed reviews.
People Can Fly has several other projects in development, but significant changes to the Gemini project, which was announced in 2023 and scheduled for release in 2026, may impact its release. Anonymous sources told Kotaku that the campaign will be shorter and the number of enemies smaller due to a reduced budget.
We know that the video game industry is currently experiencing some of the largest layoffs in history, affecting many other studios, both big and small. Companies such as Media Molecule, the developer of Dreams, CD Projekt Red, the creators of Cyberpunk 2077, Frontier Developments, the producer of F1 Manager, and Ubisoft, the publisher of Assassin’s Creed, have all experienced layoffs. Destiny 2 developer Bungie also felt these consequences, creating a “morale-weakening” atmosphere, as we learned from a report by IGN.
Large companies such as Embracer, the owner of Gearbox Software, the creators of Borderlands, and Crystal Dynamics, the creators of Tomb Raider, Fortnite publisher Epic Games, and Dungeons & Dragons owner Hasbro have also faced massive layoffs. Embracer laid off 5% of its workforce, totaling 904 employees, Epic laid off 16%, or 830 employees, and Hasbro cut nearly 20%, which means around 1,100 employees were let go.
Entire studios have also been closed, including Embracer-owned Campfire Cabal and Volition Games, the creators of the Saints Row series, as well as Free Radical, the studio behind TimeSplitters.
Ryan Dinsdale is a freelance journalist for IGN. He is eager to discuss The Witcher game all day long.
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The source of the article is from the blog trebujena.net