Midwinter Entertainment shuts down after Dead by Daylight spinoff cancellation

Midwinter Entertainment has been reportedly shut down due to the cancellation of Project T, a spin-off of Dead by Daylight developed under Behaviour Interactive. Several employees confirmed the shutdown of the studio, posting on social media that they had been laid off as a result. This marks the closure of Midwinter Entertainment after about seven years of development work under the continued ownership of Behavior Interactive.

As stated by the Behaviour Interactive company, the decision to cancel Project T was taken after a playtest and internal scrutiny. The studio reported that the game turned out to be below expectations prompting the discontinuation of the project. Even with some good reviews from players, particularly about the game’s fun and playability,  its commercial viability in the market was questionable, therefore the resolution to cancel it was reached.

Former Midwinter employees speak out on sudden layoffs after studio shuts down

After the cancellation, several former employees of Midwinter Studios took to social media and said that they were shocked about the studio’s closure. An animation and art lead posted on LinkedIn concerning their experience in the company that it “came to an abrupt end” due to the closure. A senior sound designer also confirmed that the studio had been shut down, while a lead game designer explained that the shutdown was unexpected.

One of the developers, who has spent a number of years on Project T, stressed the difference in the studio’s internal feedback and Behaviour’s final decision. As per this developer, the game was rated at 92/100 regarding “fun and playability” during a recent playtest. However, Behaviour Interactive fully canceled the project, admitting that although some players expressed appreciation for their experience in the playtest, the general commercial risks were too high.

Behaviour Interactive continues to cut jobs amid 2024 restructuring

Midwinter Entertainment’s closure is not the first instance in which Behaviour Interactive has laid off its employees in 2024. Earlier this year, In January the company laid around 3 percent of its workforce and in June it slashed another 95 jobs. These cuts were attributed to what Behaviour considered a “strategic corporate change” to redirect its attention toward its core competencies and strengthen its market position in the future.

This round of layoffs, as well as the termination of Project T, is however an illustration of the continuing reorganization dynamics of Behaviour Interactive. This year, the company launched other games, such as The Casting of Frank Stone, an interactive horror game based on the Dead by Daylight universe, made in collaboration with Supermassive Games. Nevertheless, the situation around this title remains quite ambiguous, and it is also unclear whether Behaviour will be making further cuts or restructuring in the coming months.