Schell Games announces second round of layoffs this year

Schell Games has announced a second round of layoffs this year. The Pittsburgh-based VR developer made the announcement in a statement on LinkedIn, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz.

In the statement, the studio said the challenging time in the game industry meant it had to lay off a significant number of employees to ensure a sustainable future. It said the move will keep the studio stable going forward, but called it incredibly painful because it is losing talented people.

Schell Games did not disclose the number of employees affected. The affected roles include engineering, art and design, sound, marketing, IT support, research, and QA.

The studio is known for the VR puzzle franchise I Expect You To Die and for co-developing the VR adaptation of Among Us. It also develops educational VR experiences.

Schell Games conducted its previous layoffs in August. That was the first time it had reduced staff since its founding in 2002.

CEO Jesse Schell told GamesIndustry.biz in 2024 that the key to avoiding layoffs is to prioritise stability, which he said takes time, thought and attention. In the same interview he said that if a company needs to lay people off, it is smart to do so when others are doing it too, and that he hoped things would normalise soon.