Deck Nine Games has announced layoffs at the studio behind the Life is Strange series, including its most recent release, Life is Strange: Double Exposure. It seems that the sales performance of the game fell short of expectations, prompting this difficult decision. The studio shared the news on its official social media channels, with a formal statement expressing deep sadness over the situation.
A Difficult Time for the Team
Today, we are sad to share the news that we must say goodbye to some of our talented team members,” said Deck Nine Games CEO Mark Lyons. He continued, “This was an extremely difficult decision and reflects the challenging times many companies in our industry are currently facing. We are extremely grateful to every individual who has dedicated their hard work, passion and commitment to making transformative entertainment with us.
He further said, “To those of you leaving the studio due to these changes, thank you for sharing your talents with us. We are proud of what we were able to accomplish together and we are committed to supporting you in this transition in any way we can. To the community, we ask for your support and understanding during this difficult time.”
Sales Struggles and the Impact on Deck Nine
As mentioned, it appears that Life is Strange: Double Exposure did not achieve the sales numbers the studio had hoped for. On Steam, the game has garnered just over 4,000 reviews, with 70% of them being positive. Despite this, the game barely made a dent in the global top 10, which could have contributed to the decision to downsize.
However, It’s always unfortunate when a studio faces these kinds of challenges, especially for the talented individuals who have poured their efforts into the project. Let’s hope that the employees affected by these layoffs are able to find new opportunities soon, and that Deck Nine Games can regain its footing moving forward.
