VR gaming studio nDreams has announced a round of layoffs which should be of interest to the 17.5% of its workforce (The exact number was not disclosed.) This is the latest in a string of job cuts in the video game industry. The British company said a “challenging VR gaming market” requires a “renewed strategic focus,” which will result in job cuts.
nDreams operates four studios and is known for titles such as Far Cry VR, Fracked, Phantom: Covert Ops and the recent Synapse. According to its official website, it currently employs more than 250 people in various roles. The downsizing comes less than a year after being acquired by Swedish conglomerate Aonic for $110 million, described as “historic.”
An increasingly challenging market
In a statement sent to Game Developer, nDreams CEO Patrick O’Luanaigh said the layoffs were made with “deep regret” and noted that there could be cuts at all levels of the company, including management.
“We are working tirelessly to support our team,” O’Luanaigh said, continuing, “giving them the respect and care they deserve during this challenging process, including efforts to provide full assistance to those whose positions may be affected so they can find new roles within nDreams or elsewhere.”
“Having focused on VR development since 2013, we have inevitably faced many challenges in transforming a modest independent studio into a world-leading VR game developer, working to advance both the technology and the market,” he further explained, concluding that he still believes in the industry, despite the VR market becoming increasingly small. PS VR2 flop included.
O’Luanaigh concluded by saying that he is confident that the new corporate structure will have a positive effect on the development of new games and that the current projects, Frenzies and Vendetta Forever, have not been affected.
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