Supermassive Games, known for its work on the horror titles Until Dawn and the Dark Pictures Anthology series, announced significant changes to its workforce, laying off up to 36 employees. This move is part of a strategy to adapt the team’s structure amid a challenging gaming environment. This round of layoffs follows a larger workforce reduction in March 2024, where approximately 90 employees were let go. With these recent cuts, Supermassive has now reduced its staff by nearly a third over the past 18 months, down from approximately 350 employees in 2023.
In light of these changes, the studio has also announced a delay for its highly anticipated sci-fi horror game, Directive 8020, which is now expected to launch in the first half of 2026. Supermassive expressed gratitude for the support from their community, indicating that the additional development time will allow them to enhance the gaming experience. They reported that initial feedback for Directive 8020 has been overwhelmingly positive.
Directive 8020 is set to be a standalone entry in the Dark Pictures Anthology series, which began with Man of Medan in 2019, followed by titles such as Little Hope, House of Ashes, and The Devil in Me. Since launching the series, fans have eagerly awaited the next installment, which has been delayed to refine gameplay elements.
Despite the layoffs, Supermassive Games is also working on another project, Little Nightmares 3, scheduled for release on October 10. The company reaffirmed that this development remains unaffected by the recent job cuts.
This situation illustrates the ongoing difficulties facing game developers in today’s market, but it also highlights Supermassive’s commitment to delivering quality titles and the resilience of the industry amid challenges. The delay of Directive 8020, while disappointing for fans waiting for new content, could ultimately lead to a richer and more polished experience when it finally releases.