UPDATE: Media Molecule has published a statement on its social media profiles, confirming the layoffs at the company.
“Media Molecule has made significant strategic changes during the past year, including shifting our focus from Dreams to our new project,” the company says. “We have had to make the difficult decision to begin the consultation process for team members within certain departments of the studio. This is a tough moment for the individuals impacted and the studio overall.
“Every single role that has been put at risk is delivered by someone who has contributed something special to Media Molecule. We will make sure those impacted receive the best support we can provide during this process.
We will continue to support the Dreams Community for the foreseeable future and will update on future plans at a later date.”
ORIGINAL: Another studio is cutting costs and letting employees go. According to a new report from GLHF, LittleBigPlanet and Dreams developer Media Molecule will layoff anywhere from 15-20% of its staff.
“Targeting a headcount of 115 employees, this is a significant reduction from the roughly 135-strong workforce. Employees were informed about this in an internal meeting today, on October 24, 2023,” the GLHF report says.
The layoffs come a month after support for Dreams officially came to an end.
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Media Molecule was founded in 2006 and is primarily known as the studio behind the hugely successful LittleBigPlanet franchise. The company was acquired by Sony to be a part of PlayStation Studios in 2010.
The studio put out the first two LittleBigPlanet titles before the franchise was moved to Sumo Digital. With LittleBigPlanet no longer being created by Media Molecule, the company developed and released Tearaway in 2013 before moving on to the aforementioned Dreams, which launched in 2020.
Insider Gaming has reached out to Media Molecule for comment on the reports of layoffs at the company. As of publishing, a response has not been received.
What do you think of the report that Media Molecule will layoff up to 20% of its employees? For more Insider Gaming, check out what longtime PlayStation executive recently left the company.
