Following the poor commercial reception to Marvel’s Midnight Suns, developer Firaxis has reportedly faced layoffs. A source “familiar with the studio” told Axios that about 30 developers had departed yesterday.
A representative for 2K Games, the publishing label for Firaxis, which falls under Take-Two Interactive, said the cuts were the result of a “sharpening of focus, enhancements of efficiencies, and an alignment of our talent against our highest priorities.” It also assured that the studio remains “focused on developing critically acclaimed video games.”
Such layoffs are sadly becoming common nowadays. Earlier this year, Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees, with The Coalition, Bethesda, and 343 Industries reportedly affected. Sony closed Pixelopus of Concrete Genie fame and reportedly cancelled Final Strike Games’ unannounced sci-fi shooter for PS5 and PC, leading to layoffs. There’s also The Molasses Flood, working on The Witcher spin-off Project Sirius, which suffered several cuts earlier this month.
What this means for Firaxis, especially with the departure of its director Jake Solomon and studio head Steve Martin, remains to be seen. As always, stay tuned for more details.