Eidos Montreal is Laying Off 75 Staff Members

Eidos Montreal, the acclaimed developer behind Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and the Deus Ex games, is laying off 75 staff members stating that it “doesn’t have the capacity” to relocate them within the studio. Eidos Montreal is currently still owned by Embracer Group, a parent company that already garnered criticism after laying off 900 staff members and cancelling 15 games back in 2023.

Eidos Montreal posted a statement on LinkedIn confirming that it had to make the unfortunate decision to lay off 75 staff members as it could not move them to other projects. “Today, we informed our studio staff that we are going to let go up to 75 valuable members, as one of our mandates is coming to an end,” reads the statement. “It is not a reflection of their dedication or skills, but unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to entirely reallocate them to our other ongoing projects and services.”

The statement continues:

“These very talented, highly experienced experts are going to enter the employment market, and we are working to support them through this transition. Eidos-Montréal stays committed to deliver its other projects currently in development.”

Embracer acquired Eidos Montreal from Square Enix in 2022 along with Crystal Dynamics. Since then, Embracer has closed Saints Row developer Volition, Free Radical Design and Campfire Cabal. Borderlands developer Gearbox was later sold to Take-Two Interactive for $460 million.

Embracer Group has found itself in more hot water since then. Last June, the company took the side of AI, a rather sensitive subject to discuss within the gaming industry, saying that it will empower game developers instead of replace them. Many developers are already fearing that the rise of AI could replace crucial jobs in the industry. For example, Activision has already openly admitted to using AI to generate some of Call of Duty‘s in-game assets and images – something usually handled by human artists.

Source: Video Games Chronicle