It felt inevitable, and now the layoffs at the newly formed Skydance are hitting the games division. According to multiple employees, layoffs began last week at the company and impacted positions across the board.
Insider Gaming understands that at least 30 people were let go in the cuts, though it’s believed that the real number is higher.
Skydance cuts were expected
Layoffs were always expected as the acquisition brought two major companies with many similar positions under the same umbrella. Unfortunately, rather than finding ways for the staff to continue to work just in different areas, large organizations often simply make cuts.
That’s no different here.
In a social media post, senior gameplay engineer Rebecca Vessal said that, although she wasn’t directly impacted by the cuts, most of her team was laid off. Another engineer who wasn’t let go, David Vera, said that Skydance “lost a ton of great talent” in the cuts. Vera then named 25 of the impacted staff.
As far as who was let go, associate design director David Ballard called it a sad day, but said he was “super grateful” for the opportunities he was given.
It’s important to note that, as of now, none of the impacted staff appear to be coming from any previously owned Warner Bros. Games studios. That’s not to say Skydance, which is offering buyouts to employees and continues to plan massive cuts as a whole, won’t move there next. However, it appears that the publicly known layoffs have come from those who worked directly for Skydance prior to the acquisition.
Skydance has not commented on the layoffs.
What do you think of the layoffs at Skydance after the Warner Bros. Games acquisition? Let us know down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
In other news, read about the layoffs at Star Wars Zero Company developer Bit Reactor. For even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
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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