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Blackbird Interactive, the game studio known for developing Homeworld 3, has recently experienced a round of job cuts that have affected dozens of employees, including some senior staff members. The news of these layoffs was reported by current and former employees on LinkedIn.

James Marshall, a technical artist at Blackbird Interactive, disclosed that over 40 people had been dismissed from the company. The job cuts have left a noticeable impact on the studio, with game director Quinn Duffy among those let go. Duffy, who had previously spent 24 years at Relic Entertainment and played pivotal roles in the development of Homeworld, Company of Heroes 2, and Age of Empires IV, commented on the challenging landscape of the games industry and the difficulties even seasoned studios face.

The list of affected employees includes lead game designer Sean Storey, senior software engineer Joseph Hurst, design director Matthew Freedman, and concept artist Chloé G. Despite the unfortunate news, game designer Erik Beauchesne expressed gratitude towards Blackbird Interactive for their kindness and highlighted the company’s experiment with a four-day work week program, suggesting that other studios could learn from such initiatives and the positive impact they can have on employee well-being.

Blackbird Interactive has not made a public announcement regarding the layoffs, leaving the reasons behind the cuts uncertain. Prior to the job cuts, the company had a workforce of approximately 300 people.

Since its founding in 2007 by former developers from Relic Entertainment and EA Canada, Blackbird Interactive has released several notable games, including Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, Hardspace: Shipbreaker, and Minecraft Legends. The studio is currently working on multiple projects, with Homeworld 3 as its main focus. However, the development of Homeworld 3 has faced numerous delays and is now projected to be released in February 2024.

Blackbird Interactive Hit with Job Cuts, Including Senior Staff, Amidst Challenging Times in the Games Industry

Blackbird Interactive Hit with Job Cuts, Including Senior Staff, Amidst Challenging Times in the Games Industry - Game Is Hard

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[Drizzlehell]

Uh-oh... I hope that Homeworld 3's development won't be affected by this. I watched a new trailer for it the other day and it looked fucking sick but the game got delayed so many times already it's ridiculous.

Sucks for the people losing their job too. Hope they're gonna land on their feet.

 

[Punished Miku]

Got Hardspace Shipbreaker on sale. Fun little game.

Minecraft Legends was abysmal, but I'm not the target audience obviously.

 

[Ozriel]

When you're struggling, going to 4 day work weeks doesn't seem like the best move.

But that's me looking at things from the outside, and perhaps that worked better for employee morale and productivity than I know.

Hope the people let go land on their feet