Telltale Games is experiencing a massive round of layoffs and the company is now down to just 25 employees, suggesting an uncertain future for the video game studio.
Telltale Games, known for its narrative-driven titles including The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Game of Thrones, could be in some serious trouble. According to a report by The Verge, the studio is undergoing another big round of layoffs, with some reports suggesting the end could be near for Telltale Games.
This isn’t the first time Telltale Games has been forced to reduce its numbers. Last November, the studio let go roughly 25% of its staff, resulting in a total of 90 lost jobs. This time around, the situation is even more severe. The Verge reports that Telltale will hold onto just 25 employees, just 10% of the company’s peak size at over 250 employees.
With a number of high-profile titles and generally favorable reception to its credit, it may come as a surprise that Telltale Games is resorting to such drastic measures. Perhaps its most popular series, The Walking Dead, is in its final season as the studio was supposed to prepare for its next high-profile project, a series of games based on the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things.
On the contrary, recent reports indicate a studio marred by controversy, with claims by employees alleging a toxic management team and persistent overwork. Further evidence of the internal turmoil within Telltale Games is an ongoing lawsuit put forth by the company’s co-founder and former CEO, accusing the current management of breaching contractual obligations.
Earlier this year, Telltale announced its partnership with Netflix in adapting the massively popular Stranger Things TV show as the studio’s next series of adventure games. However, follow-up reports suggest that the project and The Wolf Among Us 2 are canceled. In fact, there are claims that the 25 remaining employees are only kept on to finish The Walking Dead and that is it.
Anyone affected by the recent layoffs has Game Rant’s condolences and well-wishes.
