Australian studio Mighty Kingdom has announced a major staff layoff, with 28% of employees set to lose their jobs in a significant restructure. The move has been described as the “toughest chapter” in the history of the studio, which has been running steadily since 2010.
According to a post on Twitter / X, Mighty Kingdom is attempting to “rightsize” after a year of global hardship, to ensure the studio remains afloat and that operations can be “streamlined” for the future. Staff have been informed of these changes, with many now looking for work.
“This decision is made with heavy hearts and we never wanted to find ourselves in this position and we have exhausted all possible avenues to avert these changes,” David Yin, CEO of Mighty Kingdom announced.
“While today’s news is sombre, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our mission of creating delightful game experiences. We continue to support our current titles and eagerly anticipate the exciting developments we have planned in these and future games.”
Read: Mighty Kingdom staff share major concerns in joint shareholder letter
As noted by Yin, Mighty Kingdom is keen to support the developers laid off today, and to that end, it has created a list of impacted staff and their specialties, which can be shared with studios. A similar list was also produced by Australian studio League of Geeks, under similar circumstances.
The news arrives at a difficult time for the global games industry, as studios worldwide shrink to account for fewer investment opportunities, and tighter budgets. The jobs market is incredibly tough right now, and Mighty Kingdom staff laid off today will have significant challenges ahead.
Those in a position to hire new staff are encouraged to investigate the Mighty Kingdom staff list, and consider those now out of work.
Based on Mighty Kingdom’s statement, it does appear the studio plans to continue operating, and supporting its existing and new games. With nearly one-third of all staff members now laid off, it’s likely the company will run in much tighter fashion going forward.
Our thoughts are with those impacted by these layoffs.
