FuturLab laid off seven employees and cancelled development of an unknown game
- FuturLab has laid off seven employees from its team.
- The development of an unannounced game in the pre-production stage has been canceled.
- The reason for the layoffs is exceeded budget expenses on the project.
- The studio will continue to support PowerWash Simulator and develop prototypes.
The British independent studio FuturLab has joined the wave of layoffs that has swept through the gaming industry in recent years. The company has parted ways with seven employees and has halted development on an unannounced project that was in the early stages of creation.
According to information from anonymous sources, the restructuring process began in June of this year. The studio's CEO, Kirsty Rigden, officially announced the cancellation of the project that the team had been working on for two to three years. After this decision, the developers responsible for the game were left without work for several weeks before they were laid off.
The layoffs were conducted with heightened secrecy. According to affected employees, management did not even inform team leads about the upcoming layoffs of their subordinates. Team leads were not involved in the decision-making process. Management explained this by saying they wanted to avoid making leaders feel guilty for choosing specific individuals for layoffs. Additionally, employees were advised to avoid the term 'layoff,' instead using the phrasing 'departed employees.'
Reasons and management's position
Kirsty Rigden herself confirmed the events in a conversation with journalists. According to her, the canceled project was not related to the popular franchise PowerWash Simulator and was in the pre-production stage. The main reason for halting development was unforeseen expenses — the implementation of the project would have cost significantly more than the initial budget estimates.
Rigden expressed regret over the decision made, but insisted that the cuts were necessary to maintain the studio's viability. The studio's management emphasized their commitment to further developing the PowerWash Simulator franchise, including ongoing support for the second part and creating prototypes for new projects.
The layoffs at FuturLab are part of a broader trend in the gaming industry, where thousands of developers have lost their jobs in recent years. Many studios are facing economic challenges, forced to optimize their staff and halt costly projects. The wave of layoffs has affected both large corporations and independent companies.
Source: StopGame
