Man, where to even start. So, this biggie called Virtuos is doing layoffs. Yup, letting folks go. Heard it first from this French journo, Gauthier Andres, over on BlueSky. Random fact: BlueSky sounds like a forgotten 90s band name, doesn’t it? Anyway, the scoop’s about Virtuos kicking about 7% of their crew—300 people, give or take.
So they went and confirmed it, right? Turns out, mostly in their Asian offices. Like, 200 people there. Europe’s got another 70 losing jobs too. Strangely specific, but less than ten in France. Wonder if that’s at least one good news bit for some? Who can say.
Why, you ask? Virtuos has this whole spiel about “changing needs” and industry blah-blah. Imagine a long sigh here. They’re talking about how creating games is like solving a crazy jigsaw puzzle these days, so they’re “realigning” stuff. Realigning, ha! That’s more like reshuffling the deck chairs. But yeah, they’re aiming to beef up their high-value co-dev stuff. Whatever that really means.
And the folks who are impacted? Virtuos promises separation pay and job search help. Sweet deal or just a band-aid? Hard to tell. They say there’s a shot at landing another gig somewhere in their global network too.
These guys are pretty famous for jazzing up The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered—earlier this year. Feels like forever ago. They’re also cooking up the new Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Is it just me, or do gaming titles keep getting longer? Oh, they’ve had their hands in Dune: Awakening, Cyberpunk 2077, and Sea of Thieves too. Seriously, what haven’t they touched?
It’s kinda like layoffs are the new black in tech, isn’t it? Microsoft just did its fourth wave of cuts in what, 18 months? Anyway, can’t say things aren’t shaking up in the gaming universe. Makes you think. Or not. Who knows.
