--- title: "Supermassive Games announces third round of layoffs in three years: studio loses more than half its staff" description: "📉 Supermassive Games (Until Dawn, Little Nightmares 3) announces a third round of layoffs in three years. Up to 75 employees may lose their jobs. Over the last 3 years, the studio has lost more than half its staff due to a series of commercial failures, including the flop of Directive 8020. #SupermassiveGames #Layoffs #GamingNews" date: 2026-08-11T23:08:27.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/supermassive-games-announces-third-round-of-layoffs tags: [supermassive-games, gaming-industry, layoffs, directive-8020, nordisk-games, until-dawn] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Supermassive Games announces third round of layoffs in three years: studio loses more than half its staff ![Character from a Supermassive Games title frozen in a cryo-pod, symbolizing the studio’s stagnation amid mass layoffs](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/12/supermassive-games-announces-layoffs-third-wave/supermassive-games-announces-layoffs-third-wave-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Supermassive Games is cutting up to 75 employees — this is the third round of layoffs in three years. - The studio's headcount has dropped from 350 to less than 175 people. - The latest release, Directive 8020, received mixed reviews and did not become a sales hit. - Studio head Robert Henrysson left the company in June 2026. British studio Supermassive Games, known for its interactive horror titles *Until Dawn*, *The Quarry*, and the *The Dark Pictures Anthology* series, has announced a new wave of layoffs. In August 2026, the company confirmed the start of consultations with employees, which could result in up to 75 job losses. This event marks the third mass layoff at the studio in the last three years, leading to a critical reduction in workforce size. ### Third wave of layoffs and current situation at the studio The decision to downsize was made by the management of Supermassive Games and its parent company, the Danish holding Nordisk Games. In an official statement, the studio emphasized that the process was "difficult but necessary" to ensure business sustainability in the foreseeable future. At the time of the announcement, the studio's headcount stood at around 175 employees, which is already half the figure before the crisis began in 2024. Losing another 75 employees means the studio could lose almost half of its current workforce. The consultation process has already begun, although the exact names and positions of those affected are not yet disclosed. Management notes that the measures are aimed at optimizing costs and adapting to current market conditions, which, according to analysts, remain challenging for interactive entertainment developers. ### Timeline of personnel losses: from 350 to 100 employees The situation at Supermassive Games deteriorated in stages. Before the crisis began, the studio had around 350 employees. The first blow came in February 2024, when about 90 people were fired. The second round of layoffs took place in July 2025, when the staff was reduced by another 35 employees. The current announcement of up to 75 layoffs completes a series of personnel losses, resulting in the studio, once a leader in the interactive cinema genre, being on the verge of a radical structural change. Parallel to the layoffs, there was a change in leadership at the studio. At the end of June 2026, just a month before the announcement of new layoffs, Robert Henrysson left the company. He had led the team for less than three years — since January 2024. His departure coincided with a period of instability, raising questions about the strategic planning of the Nordisk Games holding. ### Commercial failure of Directive 8020 and reputation decline A key factor influencing the current situation was the failure of the studio's last major release — the game *Directive 8020* from the *The Dark Pictures Anthology* cycle. The game was released on May 12, 2026, on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, but failed to meet expectations. In the Steam digital store, the project received a "Mixed" status, which was a serious blow to the reputation of a studio accustomed to higher ratings. The failure of *Directive 8020* was not an isolated incident. Two previous studio releases — *The Casting of Frank Stone* (2024) and *Little Nightmares 3* (2025) — also faced a lukewarm reception from critics and players. The lack of sales hits over the last two years has deprived the studio of the financial safety cushion necessary for large-scale development and retaining a large team. ### Contradictory data While Supermassive Games' official statement describes the layoffs as a "necessary measure for sustainability," market analysts point to deeper problems. On the one hand, the studio insists that it maintains control of the situation and plans future development. On the other hand, the departure of head Robert Henrysson just a month before the layoff announcement, combined with a series of failed releases, suggests that the studio is in a state of systemic management crisis, rather than simply reacting to market fluctuations. Some industry sources speculate that the Nordisk Games holding may be reconsidering its strategy for owning the Supermassive Games brand, which could lead to further changes in the future. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Supermassive Games announces layoffs, up to 75 workers may be affected](https://www.gamesindustry.biz/supermassive-games-announces-layoffs-up-to-75-workers-may-be-affected) - Подтверждает факт объявления о сокращениях и цифру в 75 человек. - [Third Straight Year Of Layoffs Hits Until Dawn, Little Nightmares 3 Dev Supermassive](https://finance.yahoo.com/small-business/articles/third-straight-layoffs-hits-until-152245603.html) - Подтверждено по источнику finance.yahoo.com - [Supermassive Games will lay off up to 75 workers](https://www.engadget.com/2234632/supermassive-games-will-lay-off-up-to-75-employees/) - Подтверждено по источнику engadget.com - [Until Dawn Developer Supermassive Games Cutting Up to 75 Staff, Following Mixed Response to Directive 8020](https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/other/until-dawn-developer-supermassive-games-cutting-up-to-75-staff-following-mixed-response-to-directive-8020/ar-AA29SMkH) - Подтверждает связь между сокращениями и отзывами на Directive 8020. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How many employees is Supermassive Games cutting? **A:** The studio plans to cut up to 75 employees. ### Q: Why are the layoffs happening? **A:** Management calls it a necessity to ensure business sustainability, although analysts link it to a series of failed releases. ### Q: What is the studio's latest game? **A:** The latest release is Directive 8020, released on May 12, 2026.