Humble Games – best known for publishing indie hits likeSlay the Spire– has laid off all 36 of its workers,Engadgetreports. The news first emerged via LinkedIn posts by former employees, but was later backed up by official statements, one saying that a “restructure” was taking place without mentioning the number of job cuts. A later one revealed that Humble Games will somehow continue operating, supporting both current and upcoming game projects.
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To avoid confusion, we should note that Humble Games is separate from the Humble Bundle team, which puts out a steady stream of app bundles with proceeds going to charity. Both entities are, however, owned by Ziff Davis, which controls a large swath of gaming journalism including sites like IGN, Eurogamer, VG247, and Rock Paper Shotgun. It has also proven willing to shut down famous names if they’re not meeting business goals, including 1Up, Computer Gaming World, and the official US PlayStation Magazine.
Aside from Slay the Spire, some other titles published under the Humble Games brand have included Coral Island, Unpacking, and Wandersong. This week’s layoffs could make it tougher for indie developers to get games to market, since there are few established publishers willing to take risks. Major publishers like EA and Ubisoft are mostly focused on their in-house studios, and those are often tasked with ongoing triple-A franchises like Battlefield or Assassin’s Creed.
A reckoning for the gaming industry
The gaming industry has suffered tens of thousands of layoffs in the past year. Over 10,000 jobs were cut in 2023, and figures have only worsened in 2024, exceeding 10,800 so far. Some of the impacted companies have included EA, Unity, Relic, Bungie, Sony, and Bethesda.
A variety of factors are to blame, including mergers and acquistions, and one of the largest players – Embracer Group – failing to secure a $2 billion investment. The industry also ramped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, only to lose steam as people began to find entertainment outside the home once again. At some development studios, the cost of development has increased alongside expectations of movie-like production and advertising. It’s been speculated that the cost of making and marketing Rockstar’sGrand Theft Auto 6could reach as much as $2 billion – more than many Hollywood blockbusters.
