As the gaming industry prepares for its awards night, rampant layoffs continue to put a damper on an otherwise joyful pastime. The latest victims are reportedly a group of 99 WB Games Montreal employees.
Radio-Canada says (through game developer) that many of the laid-off employees were subcontractors through Keywords Studios, a company that provides technical and creative services for gaming companies. Keywords worked on in quality assurance for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Speaking of which, the layoffs coincided with Rocksteady's announcement that it would stop supporting the Suicide Squad game on January 14 (WB Games Montreal helped develop the game). The game was released last February, giving it the disgrace of lasting less than a year beforehand. his editor pulled the plug. Its upcoming season 4, episode 8 will be its last.
According GameIndustry.bizOne laid-off employee told Radio-Canada in French that he had been given eight weeks' notice before his dismissal. WB Montreal reportedly gave them the option of joining a retirement list for upcoming projects or receiving help from a career coach. However, the source said the company doesn't expect the registry to have opportunities until 2026. That's not a great option unless someone has savings to spend.
The news follows recent layoffs at Ubisoft, Xbox/Activision Blizzard and… too many others to list. The gaming industry is projected generate more than $187 billion in 2024, an annual growth of 2.1 percent.
