Update: This article has been updated with a statement shared with Ny Breaking Gaming by a spokesperson for Blackbird Interactive.
Canadian game development studio Blackbird Interactive is laying off a number of employees, employees have announced.
The studio, which she said had about 220 employees as of December 2023 studio overview fact sheetcurrently working on the upcoming real-time strategy game Homeworld 3as well as the roguelike sci-fi deckbuilder, Earthless. It has been developed before Hard Space: Shipbreaker and co-developed Minecraft Legends next to Mojang Studios.
As a game developer reports, the news was first shared by some affected employees on LinkedIn. One of them was Jacob Van Rooyen, who served as lead producer for a new IP project at the studio.
“This morning, Blackbird Interactive announced layoffs across the company and unfortunately I was one of those affected,” he said wrote yesterday (February 14). “Despite the situation, I appreciate all the experiences and great people I met and knew at BBI. I am amazed and humbled today by everyone’s support, and I wish everyone had the best impact to get on their feet.”
Others affected include an associate programmer Dylan Freddy, as well as lead and senior game designer Victoria Wojcik. Wojcik wrote: “2024 is full of surprises! I am looking for a job. Unfortunately, I have been affected by recent layoffs.”
At the time of writing, it is not clear how many people have been affected by these layoffs. Ny Breaking Gaming reached out to Blackbird Interactive for comment and received a statement confirming that the layoffs are “part of a realignment plan” that is “deemed necessary due to new projects that have been put on hold by some of our partners.”
“Due to economic pressures beyond our control, we have had to take the unfortunate step of separating ourselves from some friends,” a spokesperson for Blackbird Interactive said. “This is part of a realignment plan necessitated by new projects suspended by some of our partners. We looked at several ways to avoid this and unfortunately other options were not feasible.
“Because the affected team members are our BBI family, we want to help position them for this next phase of their careers. We are offering a range of comprehensive benefits and severance packages to help ease this transition.”
This latest news follows on from last week announcement That Homeworld 3‘s release is being delayed by a few months, from March 8 to May 13 (advanced access begins on May 10). In a statement released at the time, the developer revealed that the decision to delay the game came from “careful analysis of feedback” from players.
“To say that you as a player community have been patiently waiting for this next installment would be an understatement, and for that we are deeply grateful,” the studio wrote at the time. “We will continue to keep you informed of our progress.”
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