Game publishing label Humble Games suffered staff layoffs yesterday. The company then followed up with a public statement that it was “restructuring” its operations, but this has caused confusion, since many of the staff claim the publisher has closed entirely. What is actually going on at the studio?
Has Humble Games studio been restructured or closed?
Officially, a Humble Games representative released a statement that the studio was not closing, that developers and ongoing projects would still receive support, and that Humble Bundle was unaffected. You can see the full statement below:
In these challenging economic times for indie game publishing, Humble Games has made the difficult but necessary decision to restructure our operations. This decision was not made lightly; it involved much deliberation and careful thought, with the goal of ensuring the stability and support of our developers and ongoing projects. Additionally, the restructuring of operations at Humble Games will have no impact on operations at Humble Bundle.
We are acutely aware of the profound impact this decision has on our team members at Humble Games and deeply empathize with everyone affected. Our team’s contributions have been world-class and invaluable, supporting the launch of our games since we started publishing in 2017. We are committed to navigating this transition with as much empathy and understanding as possible.
Supporting our development partners and assisting former team members remains our top priority. We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved. Thank you for your support and compassion during this challenging period. It is deeply appreciated.
The actual number of staff member layoffs at the studio has not been confirmed by Humble itself, although Humble Games’ Business Developer Nicola Kwan took to LinkedIn to say that “all 36 employees of Humble Games were told that we were being let go and that the company is shutting down.” Humble Bundle’s Senior QA Emilee Kieffer backed this up on Twitter:
Things got murkier when a former employee told Aftermath that “[Humble Games parent company] Ziff [Davis] is trying to spread the idea that it’s a restructuring to save face, but that’s a lie. No one from HG survived the layoffs.” Former Humble Bundle creative lead Chris Radley took to LinkedIn to further clarify that “operations have been handed off to a third-party consultancy. NO staff are left.”
Aftermath managed to obtain a recording of the meeting between Humble Games management and employees in which staff were told remaining projects like Lost Skies, Monaco II, and Never Alone 2 would continue to receive support, but not from Humble Games. These games and the publisher’s back catalog will be supported by a third-party company called The Powell Group instead.
In the same meeting, Ziff Davis’ Technology & Shopping Division president Steve Horowitz said the layoffs are a result of rising costs and continuing delays. There have also been two failed attempts to sell the company where “neither attempt created a viable offer or an outcome.”
Despite the above allegations, Humble Games continues to stand by its original statement and has refused to confirm or deny anything else. As such, the future of the studio remains uncertain.
