Layoffs in the gaming industry continue. The numerous list is expanded by Avalanche Studios. Game creators Just Cause, Contraband, Mad Max and Rage 2 (they helped develop) announced that they were going to lay off approximately 9 percent of their workforce and close two studios in New York and Montreal. Altogether there are about 50 people. The offices in Stockholm, Malmö and Liverpool will remain.
“It's an extremely difficult decision, but we believe it is necessary to ensure a stable and sustainable future for the company“ we will read in the statement. “We are now focused on supporting all Avalanche employees during this challenging time. We are grateful for the invaluable contributions of those leaving and remain committed to creating incredible gaming experiences for our players.”
The Avalanche studio in Montreal only opened in October of last year. Gradually, he was supposed to hire more employees and help with the development of games, including a new part of the explosive action series Just Cause and the cooperative Contraband, which is created in cooperation with Xbox Game Studios. The New York branch was operational from June 2022.
It is estimated that more than 10,000 people will lose their jobs in the gaming industry in 2023 alone. Gaming giants such as Microsoft, Sony, Riot Games, Electronic Arts or Embracer Group were laying off their jobs. This year they were joined by, for example, Take-Two Interactive, Square Enix and again Microsoft, which closed Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks.