In February, Deck Nine Games announced that it was cutting its workforce by 20% or around 30 people. The studio behind Life is Strange: Double Exposure has yet again carried out another round of layoffs in a decision it called “extremely difficult”.
“Today, we are sad to share the news that we must say goodbye to some of our talented team members,” wrote the CEO Mark Lyons in a public statement shared on its social media platforms, including X.
ALSO READ: IllFonic Confirms Layoffs. Number Of Impacted Unknown
“This was an extremely difficult decision and reflects the challenging times many companies in our industry are currently facing. We are extremely grateful to every individual who has dedicated their hard work, passion, and commitment to making transformative entertainment with us.”
Lyons thanked those impacted by the layoff for their contribution to the company saying, “We are proud of what we were able to accomplish together”. The CEO is also asking for the “support and understanding” of its community “during this difficult time”.
However, it appears the company may not get that support, not from the section of the public against wokeness in the game industry. The reactions from the public in the comment section on X were mixed with some insinuating the studio deserved the layoff because of their wokeness. However, others sympathized with those impacted by the layoff.
“Good news hopefully the rest of you guys disappear,” wrote @Darklor72421326.
“Before Christmas? Are you kidding me?” wrote @NoFilterGames. In response to that comment, @CrazyCracka831 said, “They always lay people off before their Christmas bonus is due, it’s a repeating trend”.
Deck Nine Games was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado. The studio promotes itself as “an independent game developer dedicated to forging stories and gameplay into transformative experiences”.
Message from ex-Deck Nine Games employees
It appears the number of people affected in the latest layoff round at Deck Nine Games is significantly smaller than the previous layoff in February. This time, the studio’s management made no mention of the number of people impacted. Sifting through LinkedIn, we found two posts about the layoff.
“Well, look like it’s my turn to write one of these posts,” wrote senior quality tester Tim Healey. “Today [December 6] was my last day at Deck Nine Games as I was one of those affected by the layoffs.”
Cinematic artist and motion capture professional Taylor Rohrig also posted about looking for a new role. However, the mention of Deck Nine Games only happened in the section where she talked about her previous work experience.
What’s your thought about studios laying off employees close to Christmas? Share your thoughts with GameBaba Universe in the comment box below.
