It is always a sad day for the gaming community when a studio decides to close its doors or downsize. It happens far too often, and it always results in many job losses. Earlier in the year, we saw various studios participate in mass layoffs from NetEase, which controls Marvel Rivals, to Cloud Chamber, the team working on Bioshock. The latest studio to announce that it is shuttering the doors to one of its studios is Avalanche Studios Group, as a statement from the company confirms that it will be closing its Liverpool studio and downsizing its staff.
Avalanche Studios Group Announces Studio Closure
Today, Avalanche Studios Group posted a statement on its website about the studio closure. The statement reveals that the team is “proposing to close [its] Liverpool studio.” The statement also reveals that the company will “reduce [its] workforce and restructure the teams to address [its] games’ needs.” While it is the Liverpool studio that is closing its doors, the studios in Malmo and Stockholm are the ones that will see restructuring, with each receiving a cut to its workforce.
While it is unfortunate, this is something that many foresaw, as the layoffs that happened at Microsoft earlier this year resulted in the cancellation of Contraband, the game Avalanche Studios Group announced back in 2021. Avalanche also laid off workers during the development of Contraband, starting the game’s demise.
It is unclear what the developer will be working on going forward. With Contraband out the window and a studio closing, things are certainly looking bleak for the company. According to its website, Avalanche Studios Group has around 600 employees under its umbrella, but there has been no word about how many workers are being let go or how many were manning the team at the Liverpool studio. Avalanche has yet to comment on the layoffs.
