Funcom, the game studio that created Dune: Awakening, recently revealed they will be restructuring their teams as part of a long-term plan to release new content and enhancements for their latest open-world survival game. As part of the restructuring, Funcom is closing its Stockholm-based studio, The Outsiders—creators of the rhythm FPS game, Metal: Hellsinger.
Founder and Creative Director of The Outsiders, David Goldfarb, recently posted on Bluesky to address the layoffs and highlight the resiliency of his team.
“We are not giving up, and we are going to try to continue on in some new form. If you think you can help in any way, with business leads, placement for employees, guidance, whatever it is, I would be genuinely grateful if you reach out here. Change is always tough and right now we are all hurting. Thanks so much.”
Studio closures and game cancellations continue to roll out as the gaming industry adapts to new platforms, technology, and monetization methods, and David Goldfarb says this isn’t the first time the team at The Outsiders has felt the effects.
“Many of us had survived a near-death studio experience years back when Darkborn was canceled, and because of this team’s loyalty and refusal to quit, Metal Hellsinger was born.”
In a statement given to gamesindustry.biz, the developers of Funcom stated these layoffs are part of a plan to focus their efforts on Dune: Awakening, a game they say has already shown incredible potential.
The transition from development to long-term live operation, while also building towards a major console release next year, will require us to restructure our teams and focus our resources from across projects and studios. Unfortunately, this also means having to say goodbye to cherished colleagues.
After a record-breaking launch, Dune: Awakening became Funcom’s fastest-selling game, but players soon began to report technical glitches and a lack of end-game content. Funcom has been responsive to community outreach regarding these issues, sharing a roadmap for additional content, and even reimbursing players for items lost as a result of bugs.
In an extremely competitive time, where game studios fight for survival, and developers live in fear of having their projects abruptly canceled, Funcom stated they are ready to support their team members through this difficult time.
“Our focus now is to provide these team members with the support and guidance they need, and we ask for your understanding at this time as we will not make further comments during this process.”
It’s still unclear if there will be more layoffs as part of the restructuring.