Less than two weeks away from Christmas, there’s word of yet another big mass layoff event from publisher Embracer Group. PC Gamer reports that a number of 3D Realms and Slipgate Ironworks employees have taken to their social media accounts to reveal that they have been given their notices. Some unconfirmed reports, including one from original 3D Realms founder Scott Miller on X claim that half of the studio’s employees have been laid off this week. So far Embracer has not officially commented on these reported layoffs.
More and more sources have told me at least half the company (Slipgate/3DR) is laid off. We're looking at hiring at least 2-3.
— Scott Miller – Apogee/3DR Founder☢️ (@ScottApogee) December 14, 2023
This incarnation of 3D Realms first launched in 2014, after the original developer with that name, which created the Duke Nukem franchise, effectively shut down in 2009. Since then, the revived 3D Realms, and its internal development studio, Slipgate Ironworks, have either developed and/or published a number of retro style first-person shooters, including Ion Fury, Ghostrunner, Ripout, and Cultic. In 2021, it was acquired by Embracer Group.
Earlier this year, 3D Realms announced quite a few games were in the works, including Phantom Fury, the RTS game Tempest Rising, Core Decay, Graven, and Wrath: Aeon of Ruin (the last two have been released in Early Access). It’s unknown how this week’s layoffs will affect the development and release of these titles.
This is just the latest mass layoff from Embracer Group, after the publisher announced a restructuring in June. Since then the company has completely shut down studios like Saints Row developer Volition, and, just a few days ago, Free Radical Design. Other development studios under Embracer, while not completely shut down, have experienced big layoffs in the past few months like Beamdog, Crystal Dynamics, and others.