Playful Studios has laid off a sizable portion of its full-time staff, a decision studio founders say is the result of a pivot to a “more streamlined production model" driven by a changing game marketplace.
Founders Paul Bettner and Katy Drake Bettner announced the layoffs in a public statement today, saying that a significant portion of its staff would be affected by the shift as the studio works to adapt to the current game development climate.
The statement notes that Playful’s previous structure no longer appears to be viable, prompting it to reduce its full-time staff as it instead adapts a “more streamlined production model based on distributed game development and dynamic, project-based teams."
“We are truly heartbroken to be parting ways with many of our friends and colleagues. These are people who have poured their hearts into every game Playful has created, who have supported us and each other every step of the way, and have truly made this studio what it is today. We will be working closely with each person affected by this transition to help them move forward.”
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