British studio staff Free radical will probably be the next study that Hug group closes. These concerns have been raised before. Now CEO Lars Wingefors himself had to acknowledge them in an email to the company. Internal email was accessed by the VGC server. It says the makers of TimeSplitters could be shut down before Christmas.
“As we go through the consultation process and face the possible closure of Free Radical Design on 11/12/2023, I want to express my gratitude for your commitment and the outstanding work you have done and continue to do. This is a difficult time for all of us, but especially for you, and we are committed to supporting you as much as possible during this transition.” Wingefors wrote in an email to the company.
Under UK employment law, a company is required to consult with employees at least 30 days before layoffs, including exploring options to prevent layoffs. This leaves open the possibility that Embracer Group could try to sell Free Radical Design. But the developers apparently don’t count on this, because… more than 55 out of 100 people on LinkedIn have changed their status and are looking for work.
The revival of the Free Radical Design studio took place only in May 2021. A new development team led by the original founders was tasked with reviving the TimeSplitters series.
This also happened recently in dismissal of about 50 people in the German studio Fishlabs, which is also owned by Plaion (a division of Embracer Group). An unannounced project with the working title Black was canceled for the team. The rest, approximately 50-70 developers, will work with other studios Plaion and Embracer on existing joint projects.
Fishlabs is based in Hamburg and has just recently created a third-person space action game. Chorus. He also collaborated with Valheim, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected or Saints Row: The Third.
As part of a restructuring program, Embracer closed its studios. will (Saints Row) and Bondage by the fire. The second company by name was created just a year ago and was staffed by veterans who led Expeditions: Rome, Hitman and Warface. As for Saints Row, the series should live on. Plus, the possibility of selling some studios is being considered, including Gearbox (authors of Borderlands).
Embracer Group as part of the restructuring program dated September 30, 2023 up to 900 jobs eliminated. This represents 5% of the Swedish company’s total workforce. Also 15 projects were canceled. The cuts will continue in the coming months. More information.
Many video game companies are laying off their jobs this year. Among others, Xbox Game Studios, Epic Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Ubisoft, CD Projekt, Unity, Riot Games, Blizzard, Crystal Dynamics, BioWare, Striking Distance, Team17, Frontier Developments or Telltale Games.
Source :Indian TV
