Following the closure of one of the studios under the developer’s umbrella, Arkane creative director Dinga Bakaba has taken to Twitter to make a plea to executives.
Today, it was reported that several game developers, including Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Games (which will be merged into ZeniMax Online), will be shutting down. This is just the latest in a series of layoffs that have impacted Microsoft-owned studios in the past few months. In January, nearly 1,900 positions at Activision Blizzard and other first-party companies were impacted by job cuts.
Following the announcement of the closure of Redfall’s Arkane Austin, Dinga Bakaba, the studio director and co-creative director of Arkane Lyon, took to Twitter to express his disappointment. He referred to the decision as “absolutely terrible”and directly addressed executives, reminding them that the video game industry is a vital part of the entertainment and cultural sector. He urged them to prioritize taking care of their artists and entertainers, as their success ultimately leads to value creation for the corporation.
He went on to say, “You have told us that our good games make you proud. We urge you to continue to make us proud even in difficult times. We have seen you rise to the challenge before, and we have faith that you can do it again.”
“At the moment, we are witnessing the disbandment of some amazing teams, and it’s heartbreaking. While Lyon may be spared, it’s important to approach the situation with sensitivity and discretion. Let’s honor the voices of those directly affected and give them the space to share their own story and emotions.”
Despite the end of the last financial year, which had brought hope for a slowdown in the ongoing wave of brutal layoffs in the video game industry, the impassioned response reflects the reality of thousands of jobs lost at major studios over the past year. These recent closures serve as a stark reminder that the industry is still facing significant challenges.
Furthermore, journalist Stephen Totilo recently resurfaced an Axios interview from June of last year with Head of Microsoft Game Studios Matt Booty, adding to the already existing pain. In the interview, Booty discussed the aftermath of Redfall’s reception and stated, “That is the current plan. The team is diligently working on updates and ongoing content for Redfall.”
According to Bakaba, Arkane Lyon, the team behind Marvel’s Blade, will not be affected by the current round of layoffs. It is uncertain if Arkane Austin was offering any specific aid for the game, but it is likely that the remaining game developers at Arkane will feel the impact.
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