Playtonic, the studio behind the upcoming release of Yooka-Replaylee, is the latest video game studio to be hit by layoffs. This, according to a number of former and current staff.
In a post on LinkedIn, audio designer Matt Griffinsaid that it’s “been a really tough time at Playtonic lately in a workplace that’s usually so much fun.” He added that it seems that layoffs are just a part of the industry “no matter where you are”.
“We’re unfortunately losing a lot of super-talented folks,” he said. “Talent aside, every one of these people were a delight to work with and I genuinely don’t have a bad word to say about any of them.”
The layoffs span across multiple areas of the studio including design, production, narrative, and more.
Aside from Griffin, other, now former, Playtonic employees have taken to social media to confirm that they were no longer with the studio. Based on various posts, the layoffs began last week with the likelihood of them happening being known for a couple of weeks.
Insider Gaming has reached out to Playtonic for more details on the full scope of the layoffs and why they are happening. Should a response be received or a public statement made, it will be added to this story.
Over 2,300 known jobs have been lost in the games industry across 64 companies in 2025. With many of the numbers unconfirmed, the real number of job losses is likely closer to 3,000 so far.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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