Sumo Group is laying off up to 15% of its workforce and reportedly closing Timbre Games
Sumo Group, the parent company of Sumo Digital and The Chinese Room, has announced that it will lay off up to 15% of its global workforce to reduce costs. Timbre Games, based in Vancouver, has also been reported to have closed.
The details:
The company confirmed the cuts in a statement posted on its website, and the decision is expected to affect approximately 270 of its 1,790 employees. Sumo claims that it has taken "every alternate route to limit the impact on our people," but was unable to avoid layoffs in Canada, the UK, Poland, the Czech Republic, and India.
As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Timbre Games is also closing, despite Sumo not mentioning the studio in its update, with former employees sharing the news on social media. "Unfortunately, we learned today that Timbre Games is closing and our entire studio's team of exceptionally talented and wonderful people will no longer be employed," recruitment coordinator Jenna Dore said on LinkedIn. "It has been a true blessing to work at Timbre, and I am so thankful to have gained such valuable experience and met all of the incredible humans I have come to know and love every day at work."
Sumo Group owns 19 studios worldwide, with its headquarters in Sheffield, UK. These include The Chinese Room, Secret Mode, Auroch Digital, Midoki, and Sumo Digital, which has several divisions around the world. It was acquired by Chinese tech giant Tencent in 2021 and has contributed to several major titles from other developers.
Other recent layoffs:
Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive has announced its second round of layoffs in 2024, affecting up to 95 employees.
Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios is closing both of its North American locations, resulting in 9% of its workforce being laid off.
