Schell Games announces first layoffs in 24 years

Schell Games, the developer behind ‘I Expect You to Die’ and ‘Among Us VR’, has announced its first workforce reduction in its 24-year history. The company is laying off approximately 10% of its staff, leaving about 125 employees.

CEO Jesse Schell stated that the layoffs are intended to rebalance the studio. He noted that while the company previously focused on large-scale titles, current industry conditions suggest that pursuing more small-scale projects is a more sustainable path. This shift involves a different team structure and a move away from a heavy reliance on headset-based VR, which once accounted for 80% of their work but now represents roughly 30%.

The studio is expanding its focus toward adjacent fields, such as interactive projection for location-based entertainment. The layoffs affect various departments, including marketing, art, design, and visual effects. This move follows a broader trend of instability within the VR development sector, which has seen several other studios implement similar cuts this year.