Daybreak Games is once again experiencing layoff waves. This time, developers of the battle royale shooter Planetside Arena are also affected.
How many employees were laid off? This is not known, it is only said that a number of staff from the developer studio Daybreak Games had to go.
Which teams were affected? Mainly, the employees involved worked on the online games H1Z1, Planetside 2, and the not-so-successfully launched Planetside Arena.
Restructuring demands layoffs
What are the reasons? Daybreak has released an official statement. It indicates that there will be restructuring in several teams to better support the games in the long run. This is supposed to lead to improved player experiences that are even more tailored to the needs and desires of the players.
Several employees are expected to be affected by these changes. However, Daybreak states that it will help and support the employees during this time.
How are the employees reacting? The staff shows sympathy for the colleagues who had to leave. They have lost friends.
The affected employees state that they enjoyed working at Daybreak and are proud of what they were able to achieve during their time with the company.
What could the reasons be? The player numbers of Daybreak’s games continue to decline. For example, the numbers of Planetside Arena on Steamcharts are far from good. The layoffs could therefore be a reaction from the company to the dwindling player base.
It is not the first time
Have there not been layoffs before? Last year there were also layoffs. Both in April and December, several employees had to leave the company.
What was the reasoning back then? Daybreak released a statement at that time, which reads almost exactly like the explanation given for the current layoffs. Back then, restructurings were also supposed to lead to better support for the games.
What does the community think about the situation? Players show compassion for the laid-off employees and hope they find new jobs quickly.
However, there is also some frustration. After all, this is the third wave of layoffs within about a year and a half. And the same reasoning has been given every time. However, it seems that the situation is not improving. Especially the fans of Planetside 2 are now demanding that Daybreak sell the brand rights so that another team can take care of the title more effectively.
