In late September, Xbox warned that Ninja Theory (known for the Hellblade games) could end up being shut down – Microsoft had attempted to sell the studio in two separate deals, but both ultimately failed.
It was mentioned at the time that they would “begin consulting with employees on a proposed closure while continuing to explore other paths forward.”“and it seems that this consultation has led to some layoffs in recent days. As reported by VGC and Chris Kerr on BlueSky, several former members of the team have announced their departure.
VGC says all of the following have left the studio or said they are “at risk” of leaving it – “Alessio Mellina (technical sound designer), Katrin Mair (gameplay programmer), Galante (lead sound designer)”.
Here are some excerpts from these employees:
Katrin Mair, Gameplay Programmer: “What I will remember most is how much people cared about the work, the details, and each other.
Xoe Suvari, Performance Capture Tech Ninja expert: “It’s easy to say there was something special about Ninja, but it’s hard to put into words what it was. For me, the best part of it all has been the people here, who have the kind of talent that they work for every day in an effort to create something more. Our PCap team also got involved. Hundreds of days of filming. Hours and hours of data. naming conventions. I watched my team grow at work and as people, and together we built a performance capture stage that was truly top of the line.
Of course, there’s still a chance that Ninja Theory could survive in some form, but these departures are significant and mean desperate times for the company. Ninja Theory has recently been working on Senua, which was only announced in June with a 2027 release window, but its cancellation is looking increasingly likely.
The bottom line here is that a lot of talented and capable people have lost their jobs, and that’s never a good thing to hear about. We wish everyone affected all the best, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that they can get back on their feet as soon as possible.
Gn tech
