UPDATE: Inflexion Games has released a public statement on the decision to layoff staff, shut down its UK studio, and the state of Nightingale.
The statement can be read below:
The past few weeks here at Inflexion Games have been incredibly challenging, and no words can adequately express the sadness we feel. Like many other studios over the past few years, we have been hit by the stark realities of the industry, and after exploring every possible option, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to let go of some of our remarkable and talented team members.
Although we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished with Nightingale to date – as well as the enthusiasm and support from our community – the Early Access release hasn’t been commercially successful enough to continue development at our studio’s previous size. As a result, we’re undergoing a restructuring process in Canada, and we will also be closing our UK office.
Our priority is to support each member of the team affected by the reductions as they search for new opportunities. We thank them for their invaluable contributions to Nightingale – it would not have been possible without their immense talent and passion for adventuring in the Faewilds.
While this is a difficult moment for the entire team, we will continue to work tirelessly, alongside our players, as we move forward as a studio. I will be available to answer questions from the community and will provide more details on our upcoming updates soon. In the meantime, I hope our players will join me in expressing heartfelt thanks to our departing team members for everything they’ve contributed.
Aaryn Flynn, CEO, Inflexion Games
ORIGINAL: Inflexion Games, the developers of Nightingale, have confirmed that they are laying off a number of staff as part of a restructuring at the company.
The confirmation game via a statement to GamesIndustry.biz (GIbiz) where the state of the industry was partially blamed for the moves.
“After exploring numerous options, we made the difficult decision to restructure our studio to ensure our long-term sustainability,” the statement to GIbiz read. “Sadly this means saying goodbye to a number of incredibly talented and dedicated team members.
It added: “Our focus throughout this process has been to handle it with compassion, respect, and care for every individual affected. We are doing everything we can to help them navigate this period and find new opportunities.”
According to GIbiz, Nightingale’s financial performance in early access didn’t allow the company to maintain its current size. According to SteamDB, the game reached a peak of 47,569 when it launched in February. However, player numbers fell continually where the game has seen a peak of just 3,000 players in the last 30 days.
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As far as the number of employees let go, the outlet states that an unnamed Inflexion employee says at least 22 people have been let go. Insider Gaming has reached out to Inflexion Games for an official number of layoffs.
Inflexion Games is currently own by Tencent, who purchased the company in 2022. In 2024, there have been nearly 14,000 known jobs lost to layoffs in the gaming industry.
Nightingale remains in early access on Steam. It’s unclear what the status of Nightingale’s development at Inflexion Games currently is, or when it could leave early access.
For more Insider Gaming, read Firewalk Studios’ official statement after it was shut down by Sony on Tuesday. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
