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Until Dawn Remake Studio Hit With Layoffs a Month Before the Game is Even Out

By Charming Holiday

Published Sep 2, 2024

Charming Holiday is a news article writer from the United States. He is a former cultural policy advisor who has turned his focus to his lifelong passion of gaming. He lived and worked in South Korea from early 2016 to mid-2019 but has since returned to the greater Chicago area. His first console was the original Playstation, though he now focuses on the Nintendo Switch and its growing library of first party and indie games. Charming is particularly fond of mystery point-and-click games and action adventure platformers (2D and 3D). Charming hopes to expand his talents into the gaming news industry with the ultimate goal of one day getting to write for and ship a game.

Summary

At least a dozen developers have been laid off at Ballistic Moon, the studio behind the upcoming Until Dawn remake.
Layoffs and studio shutdowns continue throughout the video game industry, with thousands of jobs lost since 2023.
Concerns have risen as employees are let go from Ballistic Moon just one month before Until Dawn's release.

Adding to the onslaught of industry layoffs, a number of staff from the development studio behind the 2024 remake of Until Dawn have revealed that they are looking for work after being made "redundant." The Until Dawn remake is set to launch October 4, but team members from Ballistic Moon will no longer be with the studio to celebrate the big release.

Starting in 2023, the video game industry has been in a turbulent state of almost constant workforce reductions, budget cuts, and studio shutdowns, leaving thousands without work. Big name companies like Microsoft, Sony, and Embracer Group announced massive layoffs, with both AAA and indie developers caught in the crosshairs. With many still reeling from other recent shutdown news, it would seem Until Dawn's development team is also facing the chopping block.

As reported by Eurogamer, Ballistic Moon has seen at least a dozen members of its team abruptly announcing that they are "open to work" after their positions at the studio have been made redundant. While it has not been explicitly stated exactly how many Ballistic Moon staffers have been laid off, many have been shocked to see these unfortunate announcements coming just one month before the big launch of the Until Dawn remake. The original launch of the game was met with massive success, with audiences and critics alike praising the engaging choice mechanics, terrifying atmosphere, impressive graphics, and multiple endings of Until Dawn. Fans have been excitedly awaiting the release of the remake, but spirits have been dampened following the revelation of the Ballistic Moon staff layoffs.

Until Dawn Remake Developer Loses Over A Dozen Staff

As has been the case with other unexpected workforce restructurings, audiences have been baffled by staff being let go from a development team so close to a major launch. The recent closure of Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios in the same week as the game's release left many shocked, and fans now worry that the Until Dawn layoffs are continuing this pattern of employees being let go as soon as a game's development is finished. While it is not entirely uncommon for staff to be hired on time-sensitive contracts that inevitably become redundant, the consistency with which these layoffs have occurred across dozens of companies may indicate larger problems plaguing the video game industry as a whole.

Analysts have continued to debate whether these major workforce shake-ups are absolutely necessary or if other solutions may have better solved the issues faced by companies big and small. Former Nintendo boss Reggie Fils-Aime is optimistic about the future of the gaming industry, though others remain fearful that a recovery may still be too far away. As fans prepare for the release of Until Dawn, many are sharing words of sympathy and support for the Ballistic Moon team.

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Until Dawn (2024) Tag Page Cover Art

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PlayStation-1

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 69 /100 Critics Rec: 36%

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Released: October 4, 2024
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
Developer(s): Ballistic Moon
Publisher(s): PlayStation PC LLC
Engine: Unreal Engine 5

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When eight friends return to the isolated lodge where two of their group vanished a year prior, fear tightens its icy grip, and their mountain retreat descends into a nightmare with no escape. Face your fears and determine who survives Until Dawn in this seminal horror classic, rebuilt and enhanced for PC.

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Rebuilt for a new generation: Discover new collectibles, all-new environments to investigate, and re-cut narrative sequences that deepen the mystery further. Get closer to the action with an all-new, immersive third-person camera, and enjoy a brand-new musical score and reauthored audio that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the journey.

Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5
Genre(s): Horror

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