As the game industry layoffs continue into 2024, the sector is witnessing significant changes with major studios announcing workforce reductions. This article delves into the recent layoffs at Behaviour Interactive and CI Games, exploring the implications for the industry and the affected employees.
The game industry has continued to face a wave of layoffs into 2024, with two notable studios announcing workforce reductions. Behaviour Interactive, the developer behind the popular game Dead by Daylight, has confirmed the dismissal of 40 employees. Similarly, CI Games, the publisher of Lords of the Fallen, has reduced its workforce by 10%. These layoffs are part of a distressing trend that has seen numerous game companies downsizing their staff, including those covered in our articles on Bossa Studios and Unity.
Details of CI Games Layoffs
CI Games, the publisher known for Lords of the Fallen, has recently undergone a significant reduction in its workforce. The layoffs have predominantly affected the company’s marketing team. Additionally, the internal studios Hexworks and Underdog have also experienced the impact of these cuts. CI Games CEO Marek Tymiński has expressed that these difficult decisions were made to maintain the company’s stability and business strength.
| Departments Affected | Marketing, Hexworks, Underdog |
| Percentage of Workforce Laid Off | 10% |
The layoffs at CI Games are a reflection of the broader challenges facing the game industry, as companies reassess their staffing needs in response to changing market conditions.
Behaviour Interactive’s Layoffs
Behaviour Interactive, the studio behind the successful survival horror game Dead by Daylight, has recently faced layoffs. The company confirmed that a total of 40 employees were let go, which represents less than 3% of their total workforce. The studio cited changing market conditions and the need to adjust the scope of several projects as the primary reasons for the layoffs.
- Number of employees laid off: 40
- Percentage of total workforce affected: Less than 3%
- Reasons for layoffs: Changing market conditions and project scope adjustments
Despite the unfortunate layoffs, Behaviour Interactive continues to work on new projects, aiming to reallocate talent where possible. However, the studio acknowledged that reassignment is not always a viable option.
Recent Successes and Projects
Despite the recent layoffs, both Behaviour Interactive and CI Games have experienced significant successes with their respective titles. Lords of the Fallen, published by CI Games, has been quite successful, reportedly selling over 1 million copies. Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight has been on a multi-year roll, featuring high-profile crossovers with horror icons and continuing to captivate a large audience.
Behaviour Interactive is also expanding the Dead by Daylight universe with an upcoming singleplayer project titled The Casting of Frank Stone, which is set to release this year. This new venture is a testament to the studio’s ability to innovate and grow its portfolio, even in the face of industry-wide challenges.
The game industry has been experiencing a broader pattern of layoffs that has persisted from 2023 into 2024. This unsettling trend has affected a variety of companies, including Bossa Studios, Unity, Twitch, Discord, and Lost Boys Interactive. These layoffs have been attributed to several factors, including the need for increased agility and adjustments to the inflated growth experienced during the early years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For instance, Unity and Discord both cited the necessity for greater agility in their operations as a reason for their workforce reductions. Twitch, under the leadership of CEO Daniel Clancy, acknowledged that the company was still significantly larger than required, leading to the layoff of more than 500 employees, in addition to over 400 layoffs that occurred in March 2023.
This wave of layoffs across the industry highlights the challenges of sustaining the rapid expansion that many companies underwent during the pandemic, as they now strive to recalibrate and stabilize in a post-pandemic market. Discover more insights and developments in the game industry by exploring our latest articles.
