A few days after showing their new games at the Summer Game Fest, Sumo Group announced that they are laying off up to 15% of their workers. They said this is necessary to keep the business safe in the future.
Sumo Group explained that, although they have managed through some recent problems in the game industry, they still need to change how they operate to handle upcoming challenges. This decision is to make sure the business remains secure in the coming months.
Sumo Group to Lay Off Some of Its Staff
Original story, June 12, 2023: Sumo Group has closed Timbre Games.
Yesterday, Sumo announced that they would cut 15% of their staff, which means nearly 250 people might lose their jobs.
The closure of Timbre Games was not mentioned in the announcement, but employees shared the news on social media.
Tencent-owned British games company Sumo Group has announced plans to lay off 15% of its employees, in a move that could impact approximately 250 workers.https://t.co/WfBU3k5QDp pic.twitter.com/fB52E6fswg
— VGC (@VGC_News) June 11, 2024
Recruitment coordinator Jenna Dore wrote on LinkedIn, “Sadly, we found out today that Timbre Games is closing, and our entire team of talented and wonderful people will no longer have jobs. It was a blessing to work at Timbre, and I am thankful for the valuable experience and the amazing people I met.”
Technical director Campbell Dixon added, “It has been an incredible journey over the past three years, starting this studio from nothing and growing to a team of almost 100 people. I am heartbroken and disappointed that we won’t be able to finish our game or show anyone our hard work.”
Timbre Games, located in Vancouver, started in 2021 as part of Pipework Studios, which Sumo bought for $100 million in September 2020.
Sumo Group confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that Timbre is affected by the current job cuts.
Update, June 13, 2023: Timbre Games confirmed on LinkedIn that the studio is closing.
Their statement read, “We are devastated to share that Timbre Games Studio is closing. We need to say goodbye to the most talented, diverse, and incredible team in games. Teams and studios like Timbre are rare, and this closure is not a reflection of our hardworking people. They have been exceptional. It has been a privilege to work with each of them.”
Sumo’s Long Developer
Sumo has worked with companies like Sega, Gearbox, and Codemasters on various games. They also fully developed Crackdown 3 for Xbox and Sackboy: A Big Adventure for Sony.
Recently, Sumo Nottingham handed over the development of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre game to Black Tower. Sumo Nottingham originally made the game, but it’s unclear what they are working on now if anything.
It’s important to mention that these job cuts happened just one day after Sumo announced new projects at Summer Games Fest. Their busy weekend included showing off new games like Critter Cafe from Secret Mode and Sumo Digital’s Deathsprint 66.
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