Heart Machine Experiences Second Round of Layoffs This Month Ahead of Launch

The Los Angeles-based development studio, Heart Machine, has initiated a second round of layoffs within the same month. According to reports from Game Developer, although the studio hasn't made an official announcement, several developers have taken to social media to confirm their redundancies, mere days before the release of their Devolver Digital-published title, Possessor(s), on November 11. At least four developers have publicly shared their experiences of being let go, including a senior 3D animator who expressed that their time at Heart Machine had come to an abrupt end after nearly six years. A member of the community and PR team, Yiyi, also commented, "Heart Machine has just laid off a bunch more people, effective immediately. By the time Possessor(s) comes out, I'm not sure if anyone who worked on the game will still be at the company. That's just the reality of game development." This move follows previous layoffs in November 2024 during the development of Hyper Light Breaker, and another round on October 10, where the company parted ways with several team members as development on Hyper Light Breaker wound down. The gaming industry has seen significant job losses, with at least 4400 reported in 2025, though the actual number is likely higher due to many companies not disclosing the full impact. This follows almost 15,000 redundancies in 2024 and 10,500 layoffs in 2023.