It's been another difficult week for the video game industry in 2024 and now the UK indie developer Radical Forge has announced it's laying off a "handful of people". It's reportedly six employees to be exact.
The same team, which worked alongside Flix Interactive and Rare on the free update Sea Of Thieves: A Pirate's Life, is experiencing a "minor restructuring" according to GamesIndustry.biz. An official statement on social media noted how these changes would not affect the delivery of existing projects, but admitted it was "heartbreaking" for everyone involved:
Radical Forge: "We have announced some restructuring at Radical Forge to continue operating in the current challenging market. This will mean that there will be a handful of people whose roles or skill sets are no longer needed on current or upcoming projects, and their contracts will end earlier than anticipated. These actions will not affect the delivery of any existing projects.
"This situation is heartbreaking for all involved. We are a very close-knit company and proud of the people-focused culture we have created. We will do everything we can to ease the situation of anyone affected and help them find alternative roles."
Apart from the release of the free story campaign Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life in 2021, the same studio has also assisted with titles like Gang Beasts and Zombie Army 4. Its own IP includes titles like Bright Paw.
Some much larger layoffs also took place this week with PlayStation cutting around 900 employees and Electronic Arts letting go of 5% of its workforce. Embracer Group has also undergone significant restructuring.