People Can Fly, the renowned developer responsible for titles such as Outriders and Bulletstorm has allegedly terminated the employment of “over 30 individuals” engaged in the development of an undisclosed game, codenamed Project Gemini, slated for publication by Square Enix.
According to Kotaku, Adam Alker, the development director at People Can Fly, conveyed news of the layoffs through an email addressed to all team members involved in Project Gemini.
Alker clarified that the decision was necessitated by budget constraints and the project’s diminishing scope. An additional 20 individuals from Project Gemini are expected to transition to other projects within the company.
In the email, Alker expressed gratitude for the hard work, dedication, and contributions of the affected staff, acknowledging the impact of the decision on each individual.
Addressing those leaving the studio due to the changes, Alker extended appreciation for their skills and expertise and offered support for their future endeavors in game development.
Project Gemini, along with four “AAA” titles and two VR games, was unveiled by People Can Fly in January of the previous year, with a targeted release in 2026.
However, an update in November indicated that the studio was engaging in “strategic discussions” with Square Enix, and the likelihood of continuing development “on the current commercial terms” was deemed highly improbable.
This followed the September announcement that Take-Two Interactive had withdrawn from the partnership to publish People Can Fly’s Project Dagger after two years of development, though work on the project would persist.
The studio is concurrently involved in Project Maverick, funded by Microsoft and based on one of Microsoft’s intellectual properties.
Limited details are available about the title, aside from its estimated budget of between $30 million and $50 million. Speculation suggests Microsoft is preparing for a substantial revival of Gears of War.
While People Can Fly has not officially confirmed the reported layoffs at the studio, if true, they would contribute to a challenging month for the gaming industry. Kotaku reports that over 3,900 job cuts have already been announced in 2024 across companies such as Riot Games, Unity, Lost Boys Interactive, Thunderful, Twitch, and Behaviour Interactive. This contrasts with an estimated 9,500 industry layoffs in the preceding year, highlighting the industry’s ongoing challenges.
