Hellblade Ninja Theory studio has started laying off staff, following Xbox’s announcement of its closure.

A number of developers at Hellblade Ninja Theory studio have begun announcing that they will be fired or threatened with dismissal.

Last month, Xbox (11,780 articles)” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/platforms/xbox/”>Xbox adopted the second wave of planned job cuts as part of its “reset” of its operations, a move that led to 268 additional layoffs on top of the 1,600 from the first wave.

In a statement announcing the removals, Xbox COO Matt Booty also noted that an agreement could not be reached to keep Ninja Theory open or to keep Ninja Theory open. let go. independent, and that it was therefore at risk of being closed.

“Unfortunately, two separate deals for Ninja Theory fell through,” Booty said last month. “We will now begin consultation with employees on a proposed closure while continuing to explore other ways forward.”

It now appears – as initially spotted by journalist Chris Kerr and verified by VGC – that the results of those consultations have started to show, with some Ninja Theory employees saying on LinkedIn that they were being threatened with layoffs or had already lost their jobs.

Alessio Mellina (technical sound designer), Katrin Mair (gameplay programmer),

“After four years, it’s hard to express in words how much this place and its people mean to me,” wrote gameplay programmer Katrin Mair. “I learned a lot, grew a lot as a programmer, and had the chance to work with some really brilliant people.

“What I will remember most is how much people cared about the work, the details, and each other. I feel very lucky to have been able to start my career here and become the programmer I am today.

“It’s incredibly sad to know that we won’t be able to finish what we were working on. So much care, talent and effort went into this project, and I really wish we had the chance to see what it could have become.”

The fate of Senua (46 articles)” href=”https://www.videogameschronicle.com/games/senua/”>Senua, the third game in the Hellblade series, has not yet been officially confirmed, but is now considered uncertain. The game was announced during the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2026, with a release planned for 2027.

Game File later reported that Xbox was already planning to sell Ninja Theory at this point and was using Senua’s trailer to attract the attention of potential buyers, a plan which does not appear to have resulted in a sale.