The details:

  • Aphelion, a space-based action-adventure released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in April, significantly underperformed commercially. Don't Nod's gross cash reserves fell from €15.4 million at the end of 2025 to just €8 million by July 2026 — a collapse that triggered the restructuring announcement. The company flagged the liquidity crisis publicly in June.
  • The board has since approved a new business plan designed to "maintain competitiveness," but the scale of cuts required — up to 90 of its employees — represents a severe reduction for a studio of Don't Nod's size. The company has not yet confirmed a final headcount.
  • Don't Nod is the studio behind the Life is Strange series, Vampyr, and Tell Me Why. The studio has struggled over the past few years, with several waves of layoffs following the commercial underperformance of its releases, despite the general positive reception from critics.

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