Back in late September, Xbox warned that Ninja Theory (known for the Hellblade games) could end up being closed down - Microsoft had been trying to sell the studio across two separate deals, but they both ultimately fell through.

It was mentioned at the time that they would "begin consultation with employees on a proposed closure while continuing to explore other paths forward", and it looks like that consultation has led to some layoffs in recent days. As reported by VGC and Chris Kerr on BlueSky, multiple ex-team members have announced their departures.

VGC says all of the following have either left the studio, or they've said they're "at risk" of leaving - "Alessio Mellina (technical sound designer), Katrin Mair (gameplay programmer), Xoe Subari (PCap tech staff), Loong-Wei Ding (technical director), Matteo Tummino (sound designer), Matt Le-Fevre (senior technical artist), Pietro Berto (character artist), Justin Pedersen (technical artist) and Daniele Galante (principal sound designer)".

Here are just a couple of excerpts from those employees:

Katrin Mair, Gameplay Programmer: "What I’ll remember most is how much people cared. About the work, about the details, and about each other. I feel very lucky that this was the place where I got to start my career and grow into the programmer I am today. It’s incredibly sad knowing that we won’t get to finish what we were working on. So much care, talent and effort went into it, and I really wish we’d had the chance to see what it could have become."

Xoe Suvari, Expert Performance Capture Tech Ninja: "It's easy to say that there was something special about Ninja, but it's hard to put what it was into words. For me, the best of it all has been the people here, who have the kind of talent that is worked for every day in pursuit of making something more. Our PCap team poured themselves into it too. Hundreds of shoot days. Hours and hours of data. Sweat and bruises from set builds. New pipelines and the never ending battle of naming conventions. I saw my team grow at work and as people, and together we built a Performance Capture stage that was truly top of its class."

Of course, there's still a chance that Ninja Theory could survive in some form, but these departures are significant and spell desperate times for the company. Ninja Theory has most recently been working on Senua, which was only announced back in June with a 2027 release window, but its cancellation is looking increasingly more likely.

The most important thing here is that a lot of talented and good people have lost their jobs, and that's never a nice thing to hear about. We wish all the best to everyone affected, and fingers crossed they're able to land on their feet ASAP.

[source videogameschronicle.com]