Yooka-Laylee Developer Playtonic Games Announces Layoffs: ‘The Landscape Is Shifting, So Must We’

Playtonic, the studio behind Yooka-Laylee, has revealed in a post on X that the studio has laid off an undisclosed number of staff.

The studio posted a statement on the social media platform revealing that the decision is a result of ongoing changes with in the games industry, and is not a reflection of the abilities or talent of those affected by the layoffs.

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This is one of those messages we never wanted to have to write. We’ve all seen in recent years how the games industry has been changing, resulting in studio after studio finding themselves in situations where to continue to exist, they must make painful decisions – decisions that impact the lives of so many individual talented developers.

Like others, we’ve felt the knock-on effects and after exploring every possible avenue, we’ve had to make the incredibly heartbreaking decision to say goodbye to some truly brilliant members of the Playtonic team. This isn’t a reflection of anyone’s talent or dedication, the people leaving have poured so much heart, creativity, and care into everything we do. They’ve helped shape our studio, our games, and our culture, and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built together.

This isn’t simply a difficult moment, it’s a period of profound change in how games are created and financed. The landscape is shifting, and with it, so must we.

Playtonic Games was founded by Steve Hurst, Steve Mayles, Gavin Price, Jens Restemeier, Mark Steven, and Chris Sutherland, who previously worked at Rare. The studio operates as a developer and publisher, with its first developed title being 2017’s Yooka-Laylee and Demon Turf in 2021 being the first game it published. Yooka-Replaylee is currently the latest title in production for PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S, with a release date yet to be confirmed.

[Source – Playtonic on X]