3 years 2 months ago
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Hardsuit Labs confirmed the layoffs to Rock Paper Shotgun. In a statement, the studio says it had to part with "a small number of individuals" and is working to try and find new opportunities for them going forward. Here is Hardsuit's full statement to RPS below:
"While we worked hard to source some great work opportunities for the studio to move forward with, we were unable to provide work for a small number of individuals and thus made the difficult decision to part ways. This decision was not made lightly and was done so only after we felt we had exhausted the opportunities to avoid such a layoff. "For the affected team members, with their permission, we are reaching out to partners and fellow studios in hopes that we can assist in placing our former colleagues with new opportunities. We sincerely wish the very best to our former colleagues and thank them for their contributions to the studio and our projects during their time here. "Hardsuit Labs continues to move forward with existing and new opportunities, as well as current work on several yet unannounced projects. We look forward to sharing additional information on these games when we can in the future."[poilib element="accentDivider"] Original Story: Hardsuit Labs has apparently undergone layoffs following Paradox’s decision to remove the entire studio from working on Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2. The news hasn’t been confirmed by Hardsuit, but several developers have shared news of their departure on social media. Last week, publisher Paradox Interactive announced that Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 has been delayed again, this time out of 2021. Furthermore, developer Hardsuit Labs would be replaced as the primary developer on the game going forward. While the full scope of these decisions are still unclear, one apparent consequence has been a series of layoffs at the studio. While these reports indicate the layoffs primarily hit Hardsuit’s narrative department, other roles appear to have been impacted as well. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/13/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-damsel-trailer"] Several members of Hardsuit’s narrative team have shared news of the layoff on their personal Twitter accounts. One former employee shared, “I’ve been laid off from my position as a narrative designer at Hardsuit Labs - alongside the rest of the narrative department (and many others).” Others, including producers and QA also appear to have been a part of the layoffs. In a statement last week, Paradox thanked Hardsuit Labs for its work on Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 for its work up until this point. “The studio has done a tremendous job in laying the foundations for the game and we hope that you, the community, will also appreciate their contribution to Bloodlines 2,” says Paradox. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/22/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-reveal-trailer"] Along with the previous delays that moved Bloodlines 2 out of 2020, the Creative Director left the development team in 2020 and the Senior Narrative Designer also left that same year. There is currently no replacement release date for Bloodlines 2, nor has Paradox named a successor studio to take over the project. IGN has reached out to Hardsuit Labs for comment. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is News Editor at IGN.