League of Geeks, the event studio presently engaged on the house technique sim recreation Jumplight Odyssey and turn-based political technique recreation Hell alone, has introduced layoffs to over 50% of its workforce. It contains all of it Jumplight Odyssey group, pausing growth of the Early Entry recreation indefinitely.
The information was introduced in a announcement posted on Twitter / X by League of Geeks co-founders and administrators, Trent Kusters, Blake Mizzi and Ty Carey. “Quickly rising working prices” in addition to “a weakening AUD, poor early entry gross sales and the unprecedented withdrawal of funding alternatives throughout the trade” had been blamed for placing the studio “able the place we may now not afford to cowl growth prices.”
They added: “We’re devastated to be on this place and now we have finished all the pieces in our energy to keep away from it. We’re very sorry.”
Now we have some unlucky information to share, people. A thread: pic.twitter.com/hDjlrkKtdV5 December 2023
As well as, in an replace posted on Jumplight Odyssey On the Steam web page, Kusters described the method of “saying goodbye to a lot of our closest pals” as “traumatic.” He clarified that the group doesn’t need this to be the top of the sport: “If the funding within the undertaking turns into a actuality and the circumstances are the place it’s financially potential for us to start out this recreation up once more, we are going to completely do it . Nonetheless, the grim actuality is that proper now, no less than, it is a very scary time (financially) for indie builders of our measurement.”
It was additionally confirmed in an effort to “give again” to the group that labored on it Jumplight Odyssey“for the subsequent 12 months or till growth resumes, whichever comes first, half of our income from every copy bought will probably be distributed to our group (together with these whose employment was affected).”
As for the studio’s different ongoing undertaking, Hell alone, the already introduced February 14, 2024 launch date will apparently not be affected by the layoffs. The identical goes for the continued assist for League of Geeks’ adventurous board video games Armello.
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