Deck Nine Games has announced its second significant round of layoffs in 2024, announcing that an unknown number of employees will leave the company before the holiday season. The announcement comes after the late October release of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, which earned a somewhat mixed reception. It was not stated as the cause for the layoffs, but it is not a positive indicator for the game’s performance or the studio’s health.
Notably, Deck Nine Games lowered its workforce by 20% in February of this year and will continue to do so in 2023. It looks that the studio will continue to operate despite the layoffs, albeit with a drastically reduced personnel.
“Today, we are sad to share the news that we must say goodbye to some of our talented team members,” an X message from Deck Nine’s CEO, Mark Lyons reads. “This was an extraordinarily painful decision, and it reflects the difficult conditions that many companies in our industry are currently experiencing. We are deeply appreciative to everyone who has contributed their hard work, passion, and devotion to creating revolutionary entertainment with us.”
“To those who are leaving the studio because of these changes, thank you for sharing your abilities with us. We are pleased of what we have accomplished together, and we are committed to assisting you with this transition in any way we can. We request for the community’s support and understanding during this difficult time.
At this point, it is unclear how many staff have been laid off and how this may affect future development efforts. Deck Nine Games intends to grow the franchise based on the story of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, but this will be difficult to achieve after three big rounds of layoffs in the last two years.
According to IGN, Deck Nine Games has had challenges in recent years in addition to layoffs. In a comprehensive article, the website interviewed multiple employees who claimed a culture of “toxicity, hate speech, crunch, and more,” which purportedly breeds a bad workplace culture.
It’s uncertain what the studio’s future holds as it deals with the newest round of layoffs and internal corporate adjustments. It is also unknown what this implications for the Life is Strange franchise, which Deck Nine has overseen since 2017.
In any event, as always, our thoughts are with anyone affected by the layoffs at Deck Nine.
