Supermassive Games, best known for Until Dawn and the Dark Pictures series, has announced a round of layoffs, resulting in its next title, Directive 8020, being pushed back to next year.

The details:

In a post to X, the studio announced that it has entered the redundancy consultation process, which could affect up to 36 employees, stating that the cuts are part of its efforts to “better align” with the “challenging” state of the gaming industry. “This decision was not taken lightly, and we know this will be an incredibly difficult time for everyone,” the statement reads. “Our absolute priority will be to offer full support to all those affected.”
Supermassive also confirmed that with the job cuts, it would also be delaying Directive 8020, which will now arrive in the first half of 2026, but that Little Nightmares 3 is still on track. “The response to the game so far has been fantastic, and this additional time will help us deliver the very best experience for our fans,” the developer wrote. “We’re deeply grateful for the patience and support of our community. There is no impact on the development of Little Nightmares III.”
Directive 8020 was officially announced last year and is the fifth title in the Supermassive’s Dark Pictures Anthology franchise. The game follows astronaut Brianna Young and the rest of the crew of the Cassiopeia, a ship that has crashed on the planet of Tau Ceti f, which is inhabited by an alien threat. Prior to its delay, it was originally set to release in October across PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.

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Supermassive Games confirms layoffs, Directive 8020 delayed to 2026