Support studio Ghostpunch Games, now known as Side, has been hit with layoffs.
Multiple employees took to LinkedIn on Monday to announce that they were looking for work after being let go.
UPDATE: Side has confirmed the layoffs to Insider Gaming, and we have more details on the scope.
“Today, my time at Ghostpunch Games / Side Inc has come to an end,” technical game designer Benoit Poyser wrote. “It was a fun ride, and I grew a lot, both as a game designer and as a professional.”
Added senior software engineer Nikita Pogutsa, “My time with Side Inc. (previously Ghostpunch Games) came to an end today. It’s sad news, but I’m thankful to have worked with some wonderful people…”
Founded in 2015, Ghostpunch Games has worked with a number of studios, including EA, 2K, and ZeniMax/Bethesda. Some games supported by the company include Civilization 7, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Star Wars Outlaws, and Silent Hill 2, among others.
In terms of the studio’s latest work, Side/Ghostpunch had been working with ZeniMax Online Studios on its “next AAA release”. While it’s unclear if that game was the recently canceled Project Blackbird, the timing of the layoffs comes just weeks after it was confirmed that the game had been shut down.
The studio was acquired by Pole to Win (PTW) in August 2024 for $13m with a plan to allow Ghostpunch to “offer new AI-based QA automation offerings.” Earlier this year, PTW rebranded and merged all of its brands—SIDE, Ghostpunch, and 1518 Studios—into one company called Side Inc.
Earlier this month Side announced a new partnership with Savvy Games Group that includes the opening of a new studio in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insider Gaming has reached out for an official comment on the layoffs and whether it had to due with recent project cancellations at other studios. Should a response be received, it will be added to this article.
What do you think of the layoffs happening at Ghostpunch/Side? Let us know down below, and join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming forums.
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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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