Ballistic Moon layoff strikes just weeks before the Until Dawn remake release

Ballistic Moon, the studio behind the much-expected Until Dawn remake, has announced layoffs barely weeks before the scheduled launch of the game. Reports indicate that at least five workers have been laid off including a game programmer, junior game designer, and a technical designer. The immediate layoffs come unexpectedly considering the pivotal role of the Studio in reviving the title.

Being a new studio born out of the former Supermassive Games, Ballistic Moon, which was set up in 2019, was tasked with making the remake of Until Dawn after Supermassive parted ways with Sony. These layoffs cast doubts on the future of the studio, especially with no big announcements beyond the remake. This has led to theories that the studio is having difficulties managing to find new projects to work on after the completion of the remake.

Until Dawn remake studio Ballistic Moon lays off staff ahead of the game's release in Octoberhttps://t.co/kpH0tWRJKJ pic.twitter.com/9u5vUQgobn

— Eurogamer (@eurogamer) September 1, 2024

Sony’s uncertainty surrounds the future of Until Dawn amid Ballistic Moon layoffs

Although recently Sony took some steps to improve the situation and turned the ‘Until Dawn’ concept into a movie project, the layoffs at Ballistic Moon indicate that the company does not seem much invested in this franchise. The layoffs at Ballistic Moon were part of the cuts happening elsewhere in the video games industry where many studios have downsized due to lack of funds and uncertainty of the projects. 

Many people in the industry have found it surprising that layoffs will be happening so close to the release of the Until Dawn remake. The absence of any word from Sony regarding their intentions concerning the franchise suggests that the company is entirely focused on other projects rather than expanding the Until Dawn universe. This turn of events has shadowed what was supposed to be a great achievement for Ballistic Moon, to undertake their first major project.

The layoffs have also caused worries among industry watchers about the stability of smaller studios such as Ballistic Moon, which depend on getting consistent work from major companies. 

The future of these smaller studios stays uncertain as the video game industry continues to surf through economic challenges.