Eidos Montreal has officially confirmed the loss of 97 jobs at the studio following the cancellation of its Deus Ex project, as previously reported. The studio, which employed 481 people as of 2022, issued a statement on social media expressing gratitude for the team’s 17 years of work on beloved industry brands that combined deep storytelling and innovation.
Despite creating memorable and award-winning experiences, the global economic context, industry challenges, and Embracer’s comprehensive restructuring have impacted the studio, leading to the difficult decision to let go of 97 individuals from development teams, administration, and support services.
The studio emphasizes its commitment to supporting affected personnel during the transition, acknowledging the talented and highly experienced individuals entering the job market. Eidos Montreal is actively assisting them in finding their next projects while prioritizing the well-being of the remaining team members.
Embracer, the parent company, did not comment on specific studios but reiterated its ongoing restructuring program, which is scheduled to run until the end of March. Embracer stated that progress updates on the program would be provided regularly, with the next quarterly report set to be published on February 15.
Embracer Group’s decision to cancel the new Deus Ex game at Eidos Montreal, acquired in 2022, led to undisclosed layoffs at the studio.
The canceled project, in development for approximately two years, was part of Embracer’s broader restructuring and cost-cutting measures. Remaining studio members will now shift their focus to an “original franchise,” according to Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
While rumors of a new Deus Ex game had circulated, the project had not been publicly announced. In the context of industry-wide layoffs, Eidos Montreal joins a list of companies, including Riot Games, Black Forest Games, Unity, Behaviour Interactive, Lords of the Fallen publisher CI Games, and Microsoft, which recently announced 1900 layoffs across its video game teams. Microsoft’s gaming head, Phil Spencer, characterized the decision as “painful” in an internal company email.
