Schell Games, the development studio best known for co‑creating the three‑dimensional version of the hit party game Among Us and for the critically acclaimed I Expect You to Die series, has confirmed that it is cutting staff members. The news surfaced after a series of LinkedIn updates from current and former employees detailed a wave of layoffs that began on Friday of the previous week. The first public indication came from the studio’s principal engineering manager, who posted that Schell Games had carried out its inaugural round of layoffs.
The manager clarified that they themselves were not among those let go, and added a note of empathy for colleagues who were affected. “This isn’t a result of anything you did or didn’t do. Our sector is currently bleeding profusely, and the impact extends beyond gaming into related industries,” the post read. The marketing division was also hit, according to Dwayne Waite Jr., the company’s marketing director.
He identified four individuals from his team who were part of the reduction and expressed regret over the necessity of the cuts. Further details emerged from the studio’s senior public relations manager, who listed additional names from the art, design, and visual‑effects departments, indicating that the downsizing was not confined to a single functional area.
Compiling the various announcements, observers estimate that roughly fourteen employees have been separated from the company. Schell Games’ LinkedIn profile lists its workforce size as ranging between 51 and 200 people, meaning the layoffs affect a noticeable percentage of its total staff. The public relations manager, reflecting on the experience, wrote, “I won’t pretend this isn’t a disappointing way to end this chapter, especially after almost six years.
Yet I leave with pride for what I helped achieve and gratitude for the teammates I built projects with.” The reductions are particularly striking given the public stance of Schell Games’ founder and chief executive officer, Jesse Schell, who has long advocated against laying off employees. In a 2024 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Schell articulated a philosophy that separates financial risk from the risk to staff members.
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 never gamble people’s livelihoods.” He further emphasized that even if an original‑intellectual‑property (IP) title fails to generate revenue, the studio would still retain its workforce, stating, “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 current layoffs appear to contradict that philosophy, prompting speculation about the underlying causes. Industry analysts point to a broader contraction in the gaming market, where development costs have risen sharply while consumer spending patterns have shifted toward subscription models and free‑to‑play titles.
This macroeconomic pressure has led many mid‑size studios to reassess staffing levels, even those that previously prided themselves on job security. In addition to market forces, Schell Games may be grappling with the financial realities of producing high‑budget experiences for emerging platforms such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The I Expect You to Die series, for example, has been a flagship VR title that requires substantial investment in specialized hardware testing, motion‑capture pipelines, and iterative design.
While the series has earned awards and a dedicated fan base, the revenue generated from VR titles traditionally lags behind mainstream console or mobile releases, potentially straining cash flow. Another factor could be the recent performance of the Among Us 3D project.
Although the original 2D version achieved massive popularity, translating that success into a three‑dimensional environment involves additional development complexities, licensing negotiations, and marketing expenditures. If the 3D iteration failed to meet projected sales or engagement metrics, the studio might have needed to tighten its budget to preserve long‑term viability.
The layoffs also raise questions about the future direction of Schell Games’ portfolio. The studio has historically balanced educational games, immersive experiences for museums, and entertainment‑focused titles. Diversification has helped insulate it from the volatility of any single market segment, but it also demands a broader set of skill sets across the workforce. Reducing staff in art, design, and visual effects could signal a strategic pivot toward projects that require less intensive production pipelines, perhaps focusing more on smaller‑scale mobile or web‑based experiences.
Employees who were let go expressed a mixture of disappointment and appreciation for the transparency shown by their managers. Several former staff members posted messages thanking the company for the opportunities they received and highlighting specific projects they were proud to contribute to. One designer wrote, “Working on I Expect You to Die was a career‑defining experience; I learned so much about narrative design and user interaction in VR.” Such testimonials underscore the positive internal culture that Schell Games has cultivated, even as external pressures force difficult decisions. GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Schell Games for an official comment on the layoffs and to seek clarification on how the company plans to align its staffing model with the CEO’s earlier commitment to protect jobs.
As of now, no response has been published. In summary, Schell Games, a studio celebrated for innovative gameplay and immersive storytelling, is undergoing its first round of layoffs, affecting an estimated fourteen employees across engineering, marketing, art, design, and visual effects. The move comes amid a challenging economic environment for the broader gaming industry and appears to contrast with the founder’s publicly stated policy against job cuts.
While the exact financial pressures prompting the decision remain undisclosed, industry observers suggest that rising development costs, the uncertain performance of recent titles, and shifting consumer spending habits may have contributed. The affected staff have voiced both sorrow at the abrupt ending of their tenure and gratitude for the experiences they gained, reflecting the complex human dimension behind corporate restructuring.