Internally, we are increasingly questioning the relevance of creating a section “Layoffs and Job Losses“, reverse employment center style. This would allow us to have effective monitoring of the number of people who find themselves without a job overnight in our employment environment. passion job. And at the same time, we could inflict a good dose of depression on ourselves, in case seasonal depression or watching the Napoleon by Ridley Scott would not be enough.
Honestly, we’ve had enough Dick!
Our Saint-Jarod mentioned it less than two weeks ago, the Embracer Group corporation has been in the middle of a restructuring plan since June 2023. Brain of a 12-headed hydra (Saber Interactive, Dark Horse, THQ Nordic, PLAION, , Amplifier Game Invest, Crystal Dynamics / Eidos, DECA Games, Gearbox, Easybrain, Asmodee, Freemode, Coffee Stain) and 135 legs/studios, the company continues its reliefas Jean-Pierre Gaillard, big boss of the Stock Exchange, said on cathode ray tube.
In this context, the German studio Fishlabs (Chorus), based in Hamburg, is deprived of 50 positions. In 2018, 70 people worked for Fishlabs. Lars Janssen, Vice President responsible for Worldwide Studios & Talent at Plaion said: “We are going through a difficult time together. Each member of our Fishlabs studio has been more than just a member of the team; they have been a vital part of our creative journey, bringing not only their skills, but also their passion and dedication to every project. We are truly grateful for the energy and heart they have invested in our collective efforts. This painful decision is a reflection of the broader challenges of the games industry, not the incredible talents or efforts of our team“.
If Fishlabs sees a (large) part of its workforce cut, the Free Radical Design studio will have to permanently close its doors. Known for the creation of the saga TimeSplitters, the studio changed its identity in 2009 following the acquisition of the structure by the German company Crytek, thus becoming Crytek UK, and focused on the Crysis license. Between 2014 and 2021, there was internal chaos, between conflicts with the law, sale of IP (Homefront) to anyone who wants it, layoffs and transfer to Deep Silver. Then miraculously, in 2021, Embracer reformed Free Radical Design with the aim of relaunching the franchise TimeSplitters with the creators of the original series. Two years later, everything stops. Or almost. British law being what it is, a buyer can come forward within 15 days to save the studio. But that doesn’t seem realistic. Our colleagues at VGC were able to get their hands on an internal email sent by Lars Wingefors, the CEO of Embracer to his flock: “As we go through the consultation process and face the potential closure of Free Radical Design on December 11, 2023, I want to express my gratitude for your commitment and the remarkable work you have done and continue to do . This is a difficult time for all of us, but especially for you, and our goal is to support you as much as possible during this transition“. Nearly a hundred employees will find themselves unemployed after December 11.