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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →More than 70 people had left Supermassive Games by early October 2026, according to former employees’ LinkedIn posts cited by PC Gamer. The studio had announced an August redundancy consultation that put up to 75 roles at risk, but it has not confirmed a final departure total in the reporting available. The cuts came less than six months after Directive 8020 launched; the timing does not establish that the game’s sales or reception caused them.
How many people did Supermassive Games lay off?
PC Gamer reported on 5 October 2026 that LinkedIn posts by former Supermassive employees indicated that more than 70 people had left the studio. The figure is a reported departure count, not a final total confirmed by Supermassive.
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That is distinct from the studio’s August announcement of a redundancy consultation that could affect up to 75 employees. “Up to 75” described roles potentially at risk during the consultation; “more than 70” is the later figure indicated by former employees’ posts, as reported by PC Gamer. PC Gamer’s report also quoted Frank Tindle, the studio’s IT and facilities director, saying: “More than 70 brilliant people are leaving Supermassive: developers, artists, producers, QA, operations and more.” Tindle added: “Any studio would be lucky to have them.”
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What reason did Supermassive give?
The studio framed the consultation as a sustainability measure. In a statement quoted by PC Gamer, Supermassive said: “This is a necessary step to help ensure the sustainability of the company.” The reporting does not establish that Directive 8020’s commercial performance caused the redundancies, and no named sales, revenue, or budget figure is established here.
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- TRUST NO-ONE - Encounter an alien lifeform that perfectly imitates its prey. Years of training and trust are lost among the crew when their enemy hides in plain sight. Who is human and who is not? Your choices are now more important than ever!
- REWIND DECISION - Rewrite your destiny and change the course of your story with our new Turning Points story tree. Uncover multiple endings, unlock hidden paths, and save your crew from their fateful deaths.
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When did Directive 8020 come out?
Directive 8020 launched on 12 May 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, according to Bandai Namco Europe. That places the launch less than six months before the October 2026 report of departures; the studio’s redundancy consultation was announced in August.
Bandai Namco describes the game as a cinematic sci-fi survival horror title and the latest entry in The Dark Pictures series. Its story follows the crew of the colony ship Cassiopeia after it crash-lands on Tau Ceti f, where an alien organism can mimic its prey. The publisher lists solo play and couch co-op for up to five players at launch, with online multiplayer planned for a post-launch update. These are publisher descriptions, not independent findings.
Rank #2
- TRUST NO-ONE - Encounter an alien lifeform that perfectly imitates its prey. Years of training and trust are lost among the crew when their enemy hides in plain sight. Who is human and who is not? Your choices are now more important than ever!
- REWIND DECISION - Rewrite your destiny and change the course of your story with our new Turning Points story tree. Uncover multiple endings, unlock hidden paths, and save your crew from their fateful deaths.
- REAL-TIME ALIEN THREATS - Evade a deadly alien threat that roams the dark corridors of the ship, intent on eradicating human life. Overcome your enemies using improvised weapons, lightning reflexes, and stealth.
- DON’T PLAY ALONE - Recruit up to five players to join you on your mission in couch-co-op movie night mode. Choose which crew members to control and work together with your friends to survive alien infiltrators, deadly dilemmas, and catastrophic system failures.
Is this Supermassive’s first recent round of layoffs?
No. PC Gamer characterized the August 2026 consultation as the studio’s third layoff round in less than three years, following rounds in 2024 and 2025. The available report does not provide a confirmed post-layoff workforce total.
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