Deviation Games has closed down.
Whilst the closure has not been formally announced by partner PlayStation or the studio itself, members of the team have taken to social media and their professional profiles to confirm the “closure” of the studio last week.
“After the closure of Deviation Games last Friday, I’m actively seeking Character Artist roles,” Alex Hunstad posted to their LinkedIn profile, inviting people to submit leads to any relevant job openings.
The verified Resetera account of “TolerLive” confirmed the news, too, writing: “Can confirm. I am actively looking for new work as I type this. The team was really stellar so I’m hopefully everyone will land new jobs soon. And I really do hope this storm over the game industry eases up.”
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Deviation Games,” wrote chief HR and operations officer, Kriste Stull. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to our entire team. Thank you for all your hard work, dedication, and contributions to Deviation; I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have worked with each and every one of you.
“To the entire video game industry, we will be hosting a networking event, and we would love for any/all companies/studios hiring to participate. Please reach out to me directly if you are interested in attending.
“To all the Deviators out there, we will always cherish the memories we made together. Thank you for being a part of our journey. Go get ’em!”
Deviation Games was formed by ex-Treyarch and Call of Duty developers in 2020, led by Jason Blundell and Dave Anthony. Eighteen months later, however, Blundell departed Deviation. It then laid off around 90 employees back in May 2023, citing a “difficult situation” that “forced” the layoffs.
It’s uncertain how many people have been impacted by the closure, but at least 86 people cite the studio as their employer on LinkedIn, and Deviation itself states it employed between 51-200 staff at its HQ in LA, California.
The number of layoffs in 2024 across the whole games industry is estimated to be over 7500 so far. The total number of layoffs in 2023 is thought to be around 10,500. Chris Dring, head of GamesIndustry.biz, recently explored why there are so many layoffs in the video games industry right now.
“The video games industry faces its first major crisis in 40 years. It’s an unprecedented and brutal situation. But if there’s one thing that gives me hope, it’s the games themselves,” Dring wrote.
“Over the last year, we’ve seen some astonishing video games come out. The quality of what developers are making has never been better. And gamers are buying them in their millions. Ask a gamer if the industry is in crisis, and they’ll no doubt look confused at the mere suggestion. The industry’s foundations are strong, and it will bounce back.”