Gearbox Software has confirmed layoffs at the studio, following its sale to Take-Two. In the wake of the initial deal announcement, several employees took to social media to announce job losses, although no official word of widespread layoffs was delivered at the time. Now, Gearbox has confirmed these layoffs, while clarifying that they do not impact staff working on upcoming games.
In a statement to Eurogamer, a spokesperson thanked the website for its interest and noted that “reports of internal communication and actions are starting to flow through public channels.”
“The Embracer Group will continue to report on their restructuring program that impacted some parts of Gearbox today that are not tied to the development of Gearbox Software games. Thank you for granting us the space to remain focused on our people and in our handling of the situation with compassion and manage the process, balancing between our present duty and a commitment to our future.”
The statement is fairly vague, but does appear to confirm the Gearbox layoffs are part of the Embracer Group restructuring program, rather than being an initiative by Take-Two.
Read: Take-Two has purchased Gearbox from Embracer Group for US $460 million
As for the impact and scope of these layoffs, that’s remains unknown.
One former employee speaking on social media indicated “countless” staff had been laid off. As the dust settles on Take-Two’s purchase of Gearbox, the full extent of these layoffs may become clearer.
Ubisoft lays off 45 additional staff
In other layoff news, Ubisoft also recently confirmed a new round of layoffs for 2024, with 45 staff expected to be impacted as the company attempts to “streamline operations.” Per an official statement, staff in its Global Publishing and Asia-Pacific division will be most impacted.
“Over the past few months, every team within Ubisoft has been exploring ways to streamline our operations and enhance our collective efficiency so that we are better positioned for success in the long term,” the company told GameSpot.
“In this context, today we announced that we are further reorganising our Global Publishing central and APAC structures to adapt them to the market evolution with a more efficient and agile approach.”
Ubisoft joins Gearbox, Nintendo of America, Sega Europe, and many other major game companies in initiating sweeping layoffs in recent weeks.
