The CEO of Unity Software has confirmed that the company will be laying off almost 300 employees, with the brunt of these cuts impacting those working in more administrative roles like marketing and IT security. With recent reports that Microsoft is allegedly cutting thousands of jobs, as well as the announcement Amazon layoffs in its Luna division, the future is not looking so great for those employed in the tech industry.
Unity is easily one of the most popular video game engines in the world, up there with Epic Games' Unreal and Valve's Source. Launching in 2005, Unity has gone through various iterations and has been used to develop some of the most beloved games in the current market. Such releases that have been built in the software include underwater survival game Subnautica, Pokemon Go, Ori and the Blind Forest, Cuphead, and Phasmophobia, the horror sensation from Kinetic Games. Unity has also been used for other technologies, including film and the VR industry.
Sadly, despite how much the company has grown over the years, a report from The Wall Street Journal says that 284 people will be let go from Unity. Company CEO John Riccitiello says there's been some reassessment in terms of "objectives, strategies, goals, and priorities," particularly given the current "economic conditions." He goes on to say that there will be some projects getting shelved, though no further details on this have been given. This comes just months after the tech firm laid off 225 employees. Riccitiello insists that these layoffs are not "to punish" employees, but have been actioned due to a refocusing of energy.
This is by no means the first time the company has caused a bit of a stir in the industry. In the summer of 2022, Unity's CEO insulted game developers for not prioritizing monetization, adding that, while such studios are "beautiful and pure," they were also "f***ing idiots." He went on to say that they should opt in for monetization features for their games as an incentive to keep players coming back for more.
At the start of 2022, Unity also purchased Ziva Dynamics, a Canadian-based VFX company that specializes in real-time 3D faces, with such technologies used in games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Hellblade 2. Despite Unity Software laying off hundreds of employees within less than a year, the developer still seems to be growing, particularly with a number of acquisitions now under its belt.
Source: The Wall Street Journal (via GamesIndustry.biz)