Multiple reports have confirmed that there was a layoff round at Reikon Games, the developer behind the 2017 action game Ruiner. Around 60 to 70 people were affected by the layoff which represented 56% of the company’s headcount. Former employees of the company started posting about the layoffs on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.
Reikon Games is an indie developer based in Warsaw, Poland that was founded in 2014. Back in 2021, the company teased a new game codenamed Final Form which was supposed to be published by Plaion’s Prime Matter label. Just a reminder that Plaion is owned by Embracer Group which has also cut thousands of roles in a restructuring drive.
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Sources told Kotaku that the “sudden and shocking” layoffs happened on January 23. This week has brought several layoff news. However, one of the largest was the 1,900 job cuts announced by Microsoft.
An estimated 10,000 video game employees lost their jobs in the video game industry last year. However, we have already seen more than half of that number this month. Unless the tide changes, 2024 is on track to be one of the roughest years for video game workers.
Reikon Games describes itself as “a team of independent developers creating high-end computer and video games”. They said their mission “is to make awesome games and have fun doing it”. The company said it operates “a friendly and supportive environment, including no-crunch policy, flexible working hours, freedom of personal and professional development, and other stuff”.
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The company’s only published game Ruiner is a top-down, cyberpunk shooter set in the futuristic cyber metropolis Rengkok in the year 2091. Players take the role of a psychopath that fights against a corrupt system to uncover hidden truths and find his kidnapped brother “under the guidance of a secretive hacker friend”.
Former employees of Reikon Games react to the layoff
Former employees of Reikon Games continue to solicit help to find new roles on social media. On LinkedIn, GameBaba Universe spotted several posts from former employees. One of the most heartbreaking was from Yurii Kolontai who joined the company just two months ago as a hard surface artist, a role he celebrated on LinkedIn.
“Hello, I’m looking for a new career opportunity and would appreciate your support,” Kolontai wrote on LinkedIn on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. Although he didn’t expressly mention that he was laid off, seeking a new role kind of implied it.
“Hello everyone, working with Reikon Games was truly fantastic—it’s a team of professionals, very kind and good-hearted people with whom it was a pleasure to work,” wrote Timur. “I take great pride in having had the opportunity to contribute to Final Form. However, today I learned the news that a large part of the team has been disbanded, and now I am actively seeking new opportunities.”
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Maksym Malinowski who has worked with Reikon Games for many years was also part of the casualties. He also took to LinkedIn to solicit support from his connections to find new roles.
“Unfortunately, today, like many others affected by a mass layoff, I find myself in a new chapter after parting ways with the fantastic team at Reikon Games, where I dedicated many years to my craft,” wrote senior environment 3D artist Aitor Randez. “Now, I’m actively seeking a new job. Your support means a lot.”
“Unfortunately, today, like many others affected by a mass layoff, I find myself in a new chapter after parting ways with the fantastic team at Reikon Games, where I dedicated many years to my craft,” wrote 3D environment artist David-Moise Dos Santos Nascimento.
“Sadly the adventures in Reikon have come to an end and I have to look for new opportunities,” wrote Johan Lind who worked as a weapon and prop hard surface artist. “I would be grateful for any recommendations.”
GameBaba Universe has included a link to the profiles of all the affected employees mentioned in this post so that it will be easy for anyone with a relevant open role to reach out to them. Our heart goes out to the people (and their families) impacted by the layoff at Reikon Games.
