Just one month after the release of “Alone in the Dark”, developer Pieces Interactive, a subsidiary of the Embracer Group, is facing significant job cuts. The news broke after quality assurance analyst Helena Hansen reported her dismissal on social media. Hansen, who expressed her feelings of disappointment and sympathy for her colleagues to
✨IM GETTING LAID OFF✨
I’ll make a better post with my links and all that once the feelings has settled, but ugh. My heart is breaking for myself and my coworkers right now https://t.co/hWuY7K3wWG
– Helena Hansen 🌿 LOOKING FOR WORK 🇸🇪✨ (@HelenaEHHansen) April 23, 2024
Background: Splitting up the Embracer Group
The Embracer Group, known for its wide range of entertainment and gaming companies, has recently announced a restructuring after prolonged financial problems. It will be split into three independent companies: Asmodee Group, Coffee Stain & Friends and Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends. The division is to take place within the next 12 months.
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Weakening studios
Developments in recent months show just how far-reaching these restructuring measures have been. These include the studio closure of Volition and the sale of Gearbox to Take-Two. Now another studio, Pieces Interactive, seems to be suffering from the developments. In her Twitter post, Hansen mentions that other employees besides herself have also been made redundant. It is not known whether this wave of layoffs could affect the entire studio and thus lead to its closure.
Pieces Interactive seems to have made job cuts primarily because sales of Alone in the Dark have fallen short of expectations. As the reviews from the trade press and fans show, the remake of the horror classic failed to impress on both a gameplay and technical level.
