Schell Games, the studio best known for co‑creating the three‑dimensional version of the wildly popular party game Among Us and for developing the critically acclaimed I Expect You to Die series, has recently confirmed that it is cutting staff positions. The news emerged after a series of LinkedIn updates from current and former employees began to surface, indicating that the layoffs started on the Friday prior to the reports. Game Developer magazine cited these LinkedIn posts as the primary source for the information.
One of the most striking messages came from the studio’s principal engineering manager, who posted that Schell Games experienced its "first ever layoffs" on that day. The manager clarified that they themselves were not among those let go, and they added a note of reassurance to their colleagues: "This has happened not because of anything you did or didn’t do. Our industry (and beyond) right now is hemorrhaging." The impact of the reductions was further confirmed by Dwayne Waite Jr., the company’s marketing director. Waite identified that the marketing department was among those affected and listed four individuals who were directly impacted.
Additional details were supplied by the senior public relations manager, who named several colleagues from the art, design, and visual‑effects teams who were also losing their positions. When the various posts were compiled, it appeared that a total of fourteen employees were affected by the cuts. This figure is notable given that Schell Games’ LinkedIn profile lists the studio’s headcount as ranging between 51 and 200 staff members, suggesting that the layoffs represent a meaningful percentage of the workforce. One of the departing employees, the senior public relations manager, expressed a mixture of disappointment and pride in a heartfelt LinkedIn update.
"I won’t pretend this isn’t a disappointing way to end this chapter, especially after almost six years," they wrote. "But I’m walking away proud of what I accomplished during my time with the company, and I’m grateful for the people I got to build with." The timing of the layoffs is especially striking because Schell Games’ founder and chief executive officer, Jesse Schell, has publicly taken a strong stance against job cuts in the past.
In a 2024 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Schell explained the studio’s philosophy regarding financial risk and employee security. He said that the company separates the risk of monetary loss from the risk of losing staff members. "At the heart of it all is choosing not to put jobs at risk," Schell said. "We’ll put cash at risk when we make a game, but we don’t put jobs at risk.
Even if our own IP brings in zero dollars, we still haven’t put any jobs at risk – we still have a path forward where we’ll be able to keep people on. So, in a lot of ways, it’s a choice." Schell’s comments highlighted a commitment to protecting employees even when projects fail to generate revenue, a principle that appears to have been challenged by the recent reductions.
The broader gaming industry has been experiencing a period of financial strain, with many studios reporting lower revenue, delayed releases, and increased development costs. This macro‑economic pressure has led to what industry observers are calling a "hemorrhaging" of talent, as companies scramble to adjust payrolls to match shrinking budgets. Industry analysts suggest that the layoffs at Schell Games may be part of a larger trend of consolidation and cost‑cutting across mid‑size development houses. While the studio has historically enjoyed a reputation for innovative gameplay and a supportive workplace culture, the current market dynamics—rising production expenses, shifting consumer preferences, and the lingering effects of a post‑pandemic slowdown—have forced many companies to reassess staffing levels.
The public relations manager’s farewell message also underscored a common sentiment among departing staff: a sense of gratitude for the collaborative environment and the creative achievements they helped bring to life. "I’m grateful for the people I got to build with," they wrote, echoing a broader narrative that, despite the disappointment of losing a job, the experience at Schell Games was valuable and formative. As of now, Schell Games has not issued an official press release regarding the layoffs, and GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to the studio for comment but has not yet received a response. The lack of an immediate corporate statement leaves room for speculation about the company’s future direction, potential restructuring plans, and whether additional rounds of reductions might be forthcoming.
In summary, Schell Games—renowned for its contributions to the Among Us franchise and the I Expect You to Die series—has announced its first-ever staff reductions, affecting roughly fourteen employees across marketing, art, design, and visual‑effects departments. The layoffs come at a time when the broader gaming sector is grappling with financial challenges, and they appear to contrast with founder Jesse Schell’s previously articulated commitment to safeguarding jobs. The situation remains fluid, and further information from the studio is awaited.