Schell Games, the development studio best known for collaborating on the three‑dimensional version of the hit party game Among Us and for creating the critically acclaimed I Expect You to Die series, has reportedly begun a round of layoffs affecting several of its employees. The news first surfaced in a piece published by Game Developer, which highlighted a series of LinkedIn updates posted by members of the Schell Games team. These posts indicated that the company started cutting staff as early as last Friday, marking the first time the studio has had to let people go. One of the most striking messages came from the studio’s principal engineering manager.
In the post, the manager clarified that they themselves were not among those dismissed and wrote, "Schell Games had their first ever layoffs today." The manager went on to explain the broader context, stating, "This has happened not because of anything you did or did not do. Our industry (and beyond) right now is hemorrhaging." The cuts were further confirmed by Dwayne Waite Jr., Schell Games’ marketing director, who specifically mentioned that the marketing department was impacted. Waite identified four individuals from his team who were affected and expressed his personal disappointment at the situation. Adding to the list of affected staff, the studio’s senior public‑relations manager shared additional names from the art, design, and visual‑effects divisions, indicating that the layoffs were not confined to a single functional area.
Based on the information gathered from these social‑media posts, industry observers estimate that roughly fourteen employees have been let go. This figure is notable when placed against the company’s own LinkedIn profile, which lists its total headcount as ranging between 51 and 200 people. In other words, the layoffs represent a non‑trivial percentage of the studio’s workforce. The public‑relations manager who posted about the reductions also offered a reflective comment on the experience.
"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 tone of the message underscores a mixture of sadness over the departure and gratitude for the collaborative work that defined their tenure. These layoffs are particularly striking because they come at a time when Schell Games’ founder and chief executive officer, Jesse Schell, has been vocal about his opposition to job cuts.
In a 2024 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Schell articulated a philosophy that separates financial risk from the risk to employees. He explained that while the studio is willing to gamble cash on the development of a new game, it strives never to gamble the livelihoods of its staff. "At the heart of it all is choosing not to put jobs at risk," Schell said during that interview. "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." The apparent contradiction between Schell’s publicly stated stance and the recent layoffs raises questions about the pressures currently facing the broader video‑game industry. Over the past several years, the sector has experienced a series of economic headwinds, including rising development costs, shifting consumer spending habits, and a competitive marketplace that has forced many studios to reassess their staffing levels. Industry analysts point out that the term "hemorrhaging" used by the engineering manager is not an exaggeration.
Many mid‑size studios have reported similar challenges, citing delayed project timelines, reduced publisher funding, and the lingering effects of the global pandemic on both production pipelines and player purchasing power. In this environment, even studios that have historically prided themselves on employee stability may find themselves forced to make difficult decisions. For Schell Games, the impact of the cuts may also be felt in its ongoing projects.
The studio is known for its emphasis on immersive experiences and narrative‑driven gameplay, often blending physical interaction with digital storytelling. The loss of personnel from the art, design, and visual‑effects teams could potentially affect the visual fidelity and creative direction of upcoming titles, at least in the short term. Nevertheless, the company’s leadership appears committed to navigating the situation with transparency.
While GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Schell Games for an official comment on the layoffs, no response has been published at the time of writing. The studio’s official channels have not yet issued a formal press release, leaving much of the information to be pieced together from employee testimonies.
In summary, Schell Games, a studio with a reputation for innovative game design and a strong internal culture, is undergoing its first round of staff reductions, affecting an estimated fourteen employees across multiple departments. The layoffs occur against a backdrop of industry‑wide financial strain and appear to conflict with the founder’s previously expressed commitment to safeguarding jobs. As the situation develops, observers will be watching closely to see how the studio adapts its operations and whether it can maintain its creative output while rebuilding its workforce stability.