In just the second quarter of last year, they laid off more than 900 employees, which represents 5% of their workforce, including layoffs at Crystal Dynamics.
Yesterday we received the sad news that Embrace Group, owner of Eidos Montreal, laid off 97 workers from the Canadian studio and canceled the game they were developing: the new Deus Ex.
Embracer, for those who don’t know, acquired Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics from Square Enix in May 2022, putting the studios behind Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief under the same umbrella. So we believed it was good news for these studios.
Last November, journalist Jason Schreier tweeted that a new Deus Ex was in a very early stage of development. Now it seems that is one of the canceled games.
Reasons to cancel two games and fire 100 people
Eight years have passed since Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ended with an unsatisfying cliffhanger, and it seems like we’re going to have to wait a few more years to find out what happens to our beloved protagonist.
Sources told Schreier in 2017 that a previous sequel to Mankind Divided had also been canceled. Furthermore, Embracer decided to erase the existence of the mobile game Deus Ex Go, taking it away from those who had already paid for it.
“The global economic context, the challenges of our industry, and the extensive restructuring announced by Embracer have ultimately affected our studio,” wrote Eidos Montreal yesterday. Eidos does not mention the canceled game.
And if games hurt, you have no idea how much the 97 employees who were unexpectedly fired are suffering and in line with a sector that continues to lay off people.
Since the 2022 acquisition, Embracer has also closed: the TimeSplitters studio Free Radical Design, has closed Volition, developer of Saints Row, and apparently has been trying to sell Gearbox, maker of Borderlands.
Only in the second quarter of last year, it laid off more than 900 employees, 5% of its workforce, including layoffs at Crystal Dynamics and Beamdog, but not including the layoffs last month at New World Interactive.
Author: Chema Carvajal Sarabia
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