Smilegate Barcelona has reportedly shut down and let go of its workforce

Smilegate Barcelona, a subsidiary of South Korean Crossfire developer Smilegate, has reportedly closed, laying off its entire workforce.

The details:

• According to a LinkedIn post by director Stephane Blais (via VGC), all employees have been let go from the European studio. “As our industry is starting to look more and more like a game of Battleship, it is our turn to be hit,” he wrote. “Smilegate Barcelona is closing down. All employees are being laid off. The last 6 months have been pretty intense – but allowed me to discover a fantastic and really dedicated team. All of them work so hard to try to save it. I am now #OpenToWork”.

• Project manager Edouard Albert also announced on LinkedIn that he would be leaving the company, implying that the developer had shut down. “Well our journey at Smilegate Barcelona has come to an end,” Albert wrote. “Really appreciated my time there, working with amazing people and being able to improve on my own skill set. Now is time to look for my next adventure.”

• Smilegate Barcelona was founded in 2020 with the goal of developing a AAA open-world game for yet-to-be-announced console platforms. Its workforce included talent with development credits on Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Control, and other titles. Smilegate, its parent company, is best known for its work on Lost Ark and Crossfire, a first-person shooter which became popular in Asia.

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• Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has expressed concern about the "lack of growth" in the gaming industry following recent layoffs.