People Can Fly, one of the longest-standing studios in the video game industry, has announced the cancellation of two major projects: Project Gemini, in collaboration with Square Enix, and Project Bifrost, a virtual reality game about which little information was available. This decision, communicated by CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski, was driven by the lack of satisfactory agreements with publishers and the scarcity of resources to continue production. In short, they have laid off a lot of people.
And what about Gears of War?
The cancellation of these projects has also led to significant layoffs within the studio, which had already faced staff cuts in December 2024 following the cancellation of a new action-adventure IP that had been in development for several years. Wojciechowski noted that the lack of communication and commitment from publishers severely impacted the studio’s prospects. “We need to significantly reorganize as a studio and reduce the size of our teams”, commented the CEO.
Despite these setbacks, People Can Fly continues to work in collaboration with The Coalition on the Gears: E-Day project (which is still going smoothly for now: when you see your neighbor’s beard being cut…) and is developing a new IP for PlayStation, known as Project Delta. These partnerships with major publishers highlight the studio’s ability to adapt, despite the adverse context facing the industry as a whole.
This year will also see the launch of Lost Rift, a cooperative FPS that promises to attract fans of the genre. The diversity of projects in development and the experience accumulated over more than two decades, including the creation of iconic titles like Painkiller and Outriders, reflect the resilience of People Can Fly in the face of current industry challenges.