Schell Games, the studio best known for co‑creating the three‑dimensional version of the wildly popular party game Among Us and for the critically acclaimed I Expect You to Die series, has recently been forced to reduce its workforce. The news broke after a series of LinkedIn updates from employees indicated that the company began cutting staff as early as last Friday. The information first surfaced in a report by Game Developer, which highlighted several LinkedIn posts that detailed the layoff process.
One of the most striking messages came from the studio’s principal engineering manager, who wrote, “Schell Games had their first ever layoffs today,” and clarified that they themselves were not among those let go. The manager went on to explain that the cuts were not a reflection of individual performance, stating, “This has happened not because of anything you did or did not do. Our industry (and beyond) right now is hemorrhaging.” Further confirmation came from Dwayne Waite Jr., the studio’s marketing director, who disclosed that the marketing department was among those affected and even named four colleagues who were losing their positions. The senior public‑relations manager at Schell Games added to the picture by sharing additional names from the art, design, and visual‑effects teams, indicating that the reductions spanned multiple disciplines within the company.
Based on the collective posts, it appears that roughly fourteen employees have been impacted by the layoffs. This figure is notable given that Schell Games’ own LinkedIn profile lists the company’s headcount as falling somewhere between 51 and 200 staff members.
In other words, the cuts represent a noticeable percentage of the studio’s total workforce. One of the affected 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 sentiment underscores the emotional toll that such abrupt changes can have on long‑standing team members, even when the decision is driven by broader market forces rather than personal performance. The layoffs are particularly striking because they come at a time when Schell Games’ founder and chief executive officer, Jesse Schell, has publicly championed a philosophy of protecting employees from financial volatility.
In a 2024 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Schell articulated a clear stance: the studio separates financial risk from staff risk. He explained, “At the heart of it all is choosing not to put jobs at risk.
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 suggest that the company has historically prioritized employee stability, even if it meant tighter margins on a project. However, the current wave of layoffs indicates that external pressures—such as a broader industry downturn—have become too severe to ignore.
The gaming sector has been experiencing a prolonged period of contraction, with many publishers and developers reporting decreased revenue, delayed releases, and heightened competition for player attention. These macro‑economic headwinds have forced even the most resilient studios to reconsider staffing levels. Industry analysts point out that the timing aligns with a broader pattern of cost‑cutting measures across the video‑game landscape.
Over the past year, several mid‑size studios have announced similar reductions, citing factors like rising development costs, shifting consumer preferences toward live‑service models, and uncertainty surrounding the return on investment for new intellectual properties. For a studio like Schell Games, which balances original IP creation with contract work for educational and corporate clients, the need to stay agile becomes paramount. While the layoffs are a setback, they may also open the door for strategic realignment. Schell Games could potentially focus on its most profitable ventures, such as expanding the I Expect You to Die franchise, which has cultivated a dedicated fan base through its immersive puzzle‑solving gameplay.
Additionally, the studio’s expertise in mixed‑reality experiences positions it well to capitalize on emerging platforms like AR headsets and VR arcades, markets that are projected to grow steadily over the next few years. The company’s leadership has not yet issued a formal public statement beyond the individual employee posts, and GamesIndustry.biz has reached out for comment.
It remains to be seen how Schell Games will navigate the post‑layoff environment, whether by streamlining operations, seeking new partnerships, or perhaps restructuring its business model to better weather future industry turbulence. In the meantime, the affected employees are likely to lean on their professional networks and the goodwill they have built within the industry. Schell Games has a reputation for fostering a collaborative and innovative culture, which may help former staff members secure new roles at other studios or even launch independent projects.
The broader community has responded with an outpouring of support, reflecting the strong relationships the studio has cultivated over its more than a decade of operation. Overall, the situation serves as a sobering reminder that even companies with a strong ethical stance on job security are not immune to the sweeping forces reshaping the gaming world.
As the industry continues to evolve, studios will need to balance creative ambition with fiscal prudence, ensuring that they can sustain both their employees and their visions for the future.