Schell Games, the studio best known for co‑creating the three‑dimensional version of Among Us and for the popular I Expect You to Die series, has reportedly begun a round of staff reductions. The news emerged after several employees posted about the layoffs on LinkedIn, and it has quickly been picked up by industry outlets such as Game Developer. The first public indication came from the studio’s principal engineering manager, who wrote that the company experienced its inaugural layoffs on a Friday. The manager clarified that they themselves were not among those let go and emphasized that the cuts were not a reflection of personal performance.
"This isn’t a result of any individual’s actions. Our sector is currently bleeding heavily," the manager explained, underscoring the broader financial strain affecting not only the gaming industry but also adjacent markets.
Further confirmation arrived from Dwayne Waite Jr., Schell Games’ marketing director. Waite identified members of the marketing team as part of the reduction and listed four specific employees who were impacted.
The studio’s senior public‑relations manager also contributed to the picture by naming colleagues from the art, design, and visual‑effects departments who were affected. When the information from these posts is aggregated, it appears that roughly fourteen people have been laid off. This figure is notable given that Schell Games’ LinkedIn profile indicates a workforce size somewhere between 51 and 200 employees, suggesting that the cuts represent a meaningful proportion of the company’s total staff.
The public‑relations manager, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed a mixture of disappointment and pride. "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." This sentiment captures the bittersweet nature of the situation: while the layoffs signal an unwelcome ending for those directly affected, many former employees still feel a strong sense of accomplishment and camaraderie from their tenure at the studio. The timing of the layoffs is particularly striking because Schell Games’ founder and chief executive officer, Jesse Schell, has publicly championed a philosophy that separates financial risk from employee security.
In a 2024 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Schell articulated a clear stance: the studio would never jeopardize jobs for the sake of short‑term cash flow. "At the heart of it all is choosing not to put jobs at risk," he 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." Despite this professed commitment, the recent cuts demonstrate that external market forces can sometimes outweigh internal policy. The gaming industry has been experiencing a prolonged period of volatility, with many studios reporting revenue shortfalls, rising development costs, and shifting consumer preferences toward live‑service models and subscription platforms.
These macro‑economic pressures have created a climate where even companies that prioritize employee stability may find themselves forced to make difficult staffing decisions. Industry analysts suggest that Schell Games’ layoffs may be part of a broader trend of consolidation and cost‑cutting across mid‑size developers.
As larger publishers tighten their budgets and investors become more cautious, smaller studios often feel the ripple effects, leading to reductions in headcount, project postponements, or even studio closures. The fact that Schell Games, which has a reputation for innovative, narrative‑driven experiences, is not immune to these forces underscores how pervasive the financial challenges have become. The response from the broader community has been one of empathy and support.
Former colleagues have taken to social media to thank the departing employees for their contributions and to offer assistance in the form of job leads, networking introductions, and moral encouragement. Several industry veterans have also highlighted the importance of preserving talent in a market where skilled designers, artists, and programmers are in high demand. While Schell Games has not issued an official statement beyond the LinkedIn posts, GamesIndustry.biz has reached out for comment and is awaiting a response. Until an official clarification is provided, the details of the layoffs remain largely based on the personal accounts of those directly affected.
In summary, Schell Games—renowned for its work on Among Us 3D and the I Expect You to Die franchise—has undergone its first wave of layoffs, affecting an estimated fourteen employees across engineering, marketing, art, design, and visual effects. The cuts come amid a turbulent period for the gaming sector, contradicting the company’s publicly stated commitment to safeguarding jobs. As the industry continues to navigate economic uncertainty, the situation at Schell Games serves as a reminder that even studios with strong ethical postures may need to adapt to survive, and that the human impact of such decisions resonates deeply with both employees and the wider gaming community.