People Can Fly, the Polish developer behind games like Outriders and Bulletstorm, is reportedly the latest to be hit by layoffs. Over 30 people have been impacted, all working on an as-yet-unannounced game codenamed Project Gemini, which was to be published by Square Enix.
That's according to a report from Kotaku, who received email confirmation from development director Adam Alker that, due to budget limitations and shrinking scope, the company was letting "over 30 people" go. Additionally, another 20 staff members working on Gemini will be reassigned to other in-development projects.
Alker wished the just-made redundant staff well in their future endeavours: "To those individuals transitioning out of the studio due to these changes, we extend our sincere appreciation for the skills and expertise you brought to the team. We will keep our fingers crossed for your next steps in game dev and offer all our support."
Following a brutal 2023, in which an estimated third of all companies in the industry reported layoffs, 2024 is shaping up to be even bloodier. Kotaku is doing the grim but essential work of tracking these statistics; as it stands, 24 days into 2024, some 3,900 jobs have been lost across developers, publishers, and other video game-related companies, hot on the heels of at least 6,000 reported from last year. At this rate, that number will be toppled by the end of next month.