Schell Games, the development studio best known for collaborating on the three‑dimensional version of Among Us and for creating the critically praised I Expect You to Die series, has reportedly initiated a round of layoffs affecting a portion of its staff. The news emerged after several employees posted about the cuts on LinkedIn, prompting coverage by Game Developer and sparking conversation across the industry. The first public indication of the downsizing came from the studio’s principal engineering manager, who posted on LinkedIn that Schell Games experienced "its first ever layoffs" on a Friday.
The manager clarified that they themselves were not among those let go, and they added a note of empathy for their colleagues: "This has happened not because of anything you did or didn’t do. Our industry (and beyond) right now is hemorrhaging." Further confirmation arrived from the company’s marketing director, Dwayne Waite Jr., who specifically mentioned that members of the marketing team were among those impacted. He went on to name four individuals who were directly affected. In addition, the senior public‑relations manager at Schell Games shared a longer list of names, highlighting that the reductions also touched the art, design, and visual‑effects departments.
When all of the reports are combined, it appears that roughly fourteen employees have been laid off. The scale of the cuts is notable given the size of the studio.
Schell Games lists its headcount on its LinkedIn page as falling somewhere between 51 and 200 employees, which means that the layoffs represent a meaningful percentage of the workforce. One of the affected public‑relations staff members posted a reflective message, acknowledging the disappointment of ending their tenure under these circumstances after nearly six years with the company. They wrote, "I won’t pretend this isn’t a disappointing way to end this chapter, especially after almost 6 years. 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 timing of the layoffs is especially striking because it appears to contradict the public stance of Schell Games’ founder and chief executive officer, Jesse Schell, who has long positioned the studio as a firm opponent of job cuts.
In a 2024 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Schell explained his philosophy regarding financial risk versus staff security. He said, "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." That statement underscored a broader industry conversation about how studios balance the volatility of game development budgets with the responsibility they feel toward their employees.
Many developers have faced similar dilemmas over the past few years, as the market has experienced rapid shifts in consumer preferences, rising production costs, and an increasingly competitive publishing environment. The phrase "our industry is hemorrhaging"—used by the engineering manager in their LinkedIn post—captures the sense of a sector under pressure, where even well‑established studios are feeling the strain. The layoffs at Schell Games also reflect a wider trend of mid‑size studios adjusting to a market that now favors live‑service models, episodic releases, and heavy reliance on external publishing partners. While Schell Games has carved out a niche creating immersive experiences for educational and entertainment purposes—often blending physical interaction with virtual reality—the financial realities of developing high‑quality, hardware‑intensive titles can be unforgiving.
The company’s portfolio, which includes the I Expect You to Die series of VR puzzle games, has been praised for its inventive design, but such projects typically require sizable investments in specialized talent and technology. Industry analysts suggest that the current environment may push studios to adopt more flexible staffing models, including greater use of contractors, freelancers, and remote teams, in order to keep fixed payroll costs manageable. This approach can help mitigate the impact of market downturns but also raises questions about job security and workplace culture.
For employees who have spent years building expertise within a particular studio, sudden layoffs can be especially disorienting, prompting them to seek new opportunities or pivot to related fields such as simulation, training, or enterprise VR. In response to the news, GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Schell Games for comment, seeking clarification on the rationale behind the cuts and whether the company plans to adjust its hiring strategy moving forward. As of the time of this writing, the studio has not issued an official statement beyond the individual LinkedIn posts shared by staff members.
The situation at Schell Games serves as a reminder that even studios with a reputation for stability and a clear public commitment to protecting jobs are not immune to broader economic forces. It also highlights the importance of transparent communication within organizations, especially during periods of uncertainty. For the employees who were let go, the outpouring of support from colleagues on social media underscores a shared sense of community and the lasting impact of the collaborative work they performed together.
Looking ahead, the industry will likely continue to monitor how mid‑size developers navigate these challenges, balancing creative ambition with fiscal prudence. For Schell Games, the next steps may involve reassessing project pipelines, exploring new partnerships, or potentially restructuring internal teams to better align with the evolving market landscape. While the layoffs are a difficult chapter for those directly affected, the studio’s broader legacy of innovative game design and immersive storytelling remains a significant part of its identity, and it may well emerge from this period with a refreshed focus on sustainable growth and continued creative excellence.