Schell Games, the development studio best known for co‑creating the three‑dimensional version of the viral hit Among Us and for the critically acclaimed I Expect You to Die series, has recently been forced to cut staff members, according to multiple sources. The news broke after a series of LinkedIn updates from employees at the firm indicated that the layoffs began on Friday of the previous week. The initial post came from the studio’s principal engineering manager, who wrote, "Schell Games experienced its first ever round of layoffs today." The manager clarified that they themselves were not among those let go, and they added a broader perspective on the situation: "This isn’t a result of any individual actions.
The entire industry is currently bleeding heavily, and the effects are rippling beyond just games." Further confirmation arrived from Dwayne Waite Jr., the company’s marketing director, who specifically mentioned that the marketing department was hit and identified four colleagues who were impacted. In addition, the senior public‑relations manager at Schell Games posted a longer note that listed additional names from the art, design, and visual‑effects teams, suggesting that the cuts spanned several functional areas within the studio.
Based on the aggregate of those posts, observers estimate that roughly fourteen employees have been affected by the reductions. Schell Games lists its headcount on its LinkedIn company page as ranging between 51 and 200 workers, meaning the layoffs represent a noticeable proportion of the overall staff, even if the exact percentage is difficult to pinpoint without a precise headcount. One of the affected employees, the senior public‑relations manager, expressed a mix of disappointment and pride in a reflective comment: "I won’t pretend this isn’t a disappointing way to end this chapter, especially after almost six years with the company. Still, I walk away proud of what I accomplished during my time here, and I’m grateful for the people I got to build with." The timing of these cuts is particularly striking given the public stance taken by Schell Games’ founder and chief executive officer, Jesse Schell, on the subject of job security.
In a 2024 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Schell articulated a philosophy that separates financial risk from the risk to employees. He explained, "At the heart of it all is choosing not to put jobs at risk. We may gamble cash when we develop a game, but we do not gamble the livelihoods of our staff." Schell went on to say that even if a proprietary intellectual property failed to generate any revenue, the studio would still have a path forward that would allow it to retain its workforce.
"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," he asserted. The recent layoffs appear to contradict that earlier commitment, prompting industry observers to wonder what changed in the intervening period.
While the exact financial pressures that led to the decision have not been disclosed, the broader context of the video‑game market suggests a challenging environment. The industry has been experiencing a slowdown in consumer spending, rising development costs, and a series of high‑profile studio closures and consolidations over the past year. Many developers have reported difficulty securing funding for mid‑tier projects, and the shift toward live‑service models has left traditional episodic and single‑player studios scrambling to adapt.
Schell Games, despite its reputation for innovative gameplay experiences and strong partnerships with educational and corporate clients, is not immune to these macro‑economic forces. The company’s portfolio includes both entertainment titles and serious‑games projects that often rely on contracts with external organizations. Fluctuations in those contract pipelines can have a direct impact on cash flow, potentially forcing difficult staffing decisions. In addition to the broader market headwinds, the studio may be feeling the aftershocks of recent platform changes and policy updates from major distribution channels.
For example, changes to revenue‑share models on storefronts, increased competition from indie developers leveraging low‑cost engines, and the rising cost of licensing third‑party technology can all erode profit margins. The layoffs also raise questions about the future direction of Schell Games’ product roadmap.
The studio has been praised for its immersive VR titles, yet the VR market has faced its own set of challenges, including a slower adoption rate than initially projected and hardware supply constraints. If the company’s pipeline includes several VR projects awaiting release, a reduction in staff could delay those launches, potentially affecting the studio’s long‑term revenue prospects.
Despite the disappointment expressed by the departing employees, many of them highlighted the collaborative culture and the sense of accomplishment they felt while working on projects that blended entertainment with learning. One former designer noted that the studio’s emphasis on narrative-driven puzzles and player agency had set a benchmark for interactive storytelling, and that the experience gained would serve them well in future endeavors. GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Schell Games for an official comment on the layoffs and on how the company plans to reconcile its past public statements about job security with the current reality.
As of now, no response has been published. In summary, Schell Games, a studio known for its creative contributions to both mainstream and educational gaming, has undergone its first round of staff reductions, affecting an estimated fourteen employees across multiple departments.
The cuts come amid a challenging economic climate for the broader gaming sector and appear to contrast with the CEO’s previously stated commitment to protecting jobs. The full impact on the studio’s upcoming projects and its overall strategic direction remains to be seen, but the situation underscores the volatility that even well‑regarded developers can face in today’s market.