Splash Injury acquired this studio simply 3 months after shedding a bunch of individuals—now it is laying them off, too

The closure of BioWare and layoff of roughly 400 individuals at Digital Arts is being rightly excoriated for example of the corrosive results of capital on just about all the pieces good. However that very same form of factor occurs, possibly extra usually than we might wish to assume, on smaller scales, too. Living proof: Gamepires, creator of open-world survival recreation Scum, which introduced final week that it is placing individuals out of labor.

The unhealthy information got here through an unattributed message posted on X: “A tough determination has been made to cut back the scale of the Gamepires crew, which suggests saying goodbye to colleagues who’ve helped form Scum and the studio. This step is critical to assist Gamepires adapt to difficult market situations and long-term sustainability.”

It is all very cold and generic—the form of assertion that might’ve come from nearly any recreation studio making layoffs over the previous six months or so.

What makes this explicit case really feel so egregious, although, is that Gamepires was acquired by Splash Injury Group, in a deal backed by Emona Capital, simply eight months in the past. And that acquisition was made simply three months after Splash Injury made main layoffs of its personal, so it might “stay agile and adaptable in what has been a really difficult market.” And people layoffs got here simply two months after Splash Injury was acquired by then-unnamed personal fairness buyers.

Splash Injury hasn’t launched a recreation since Gears Ways in 2020: Its deliberate subsequent large factor, Transformers: Reactivate, was cancelled in 2025. Gamepires’ survival recreation Scum, in the meantime, remains to be ticking over properly on Steam, the place it is being repeatedly up to date with hotfixes and content material updates.

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In reality, Splash Injury stated when it acquired Gamepires that “bringing the groups collectively round Scum provides Splash Injury Group quick, significant work to give attention to,” including, “That stability has been necessary for shielding roles and giving the studio a stable basis for its future. Splash Injury Group is presently slightly below 150 individuals, and we will likely be working carefully with Emona to develop the group over the following few years.”

But right here we’re, eight months later.

So, to recap:

Splash Injury will get purchased up by personal equitySplash Injury lays off employeesSplash Injury, backed by personal fairness, acquires GamepiresGamepires lays off staff

Gamepires did not say how many individuals had been put out of labor on account of the cuts. I’ve reached out to Splash Injury for extra info and can replace if I obtain a reply.