Over 30 Layoffs Amid Adjustments to Project Gemini’s Development Landscape
People Can Fly, the developer behind popular titles like Outriders and Bulletstorm, has reportedly laid off more than 30 staff members. The affected employees were reportedly working on the upcoming Project Gemini, a collaboration with Square Enix. An additional 20 staff members working on Project Gemini were reassigned to other projects within People Can Fly.
Development Director Adam Alker expressed gratitude for the contributions of the affected staff in an email, acknowledging the impact of the decision and offering support for their next steps in the game development industry.
People Can Fly, based in Poland, has released games like Bulletstorm VR and Green Hell VR in 2024 and 2022, respectively. Outriders, a cooperative looter shooter published by Square Enix, received mixed reviews upon its launch in 2021.
The studio has several projects in development, but the reported changes to Project Gemini, announced in 2023 and set to launch in 2026, could potentially impact its release. Anonymous sources suggested that the game’s campaign might be shorter, and the enemy roster could be reduced due to budget constraints.
This news comes amidst a wave of industry-wide layoffs in the video game sector, with major companies and studios facing significant workforce reductions. The challenges faced by People Can Fly are part of a broader trend affecting the gaming industry in 2024, following a similar pattern seen in 2023.