Schell Games, the development studio best known for co‑creating the three‑dimensional version of Among Us and for the critically acclaimed I Expect You to Die franchise, has reportedly begun a round of layoffs. The news emerged after several employees posted about the cuts on LinkedIn, a pattern that was later picked up by Game Developer magazine.
The first public indication of the reductions came from the studio’s principal engineering manager, who wrote that the company experienced its inaugural layoff round on a Friday. The manager emphasized that the decision was not a reflection of personal performance, stating, "This isn’t a result of anything you did or didn’t do. Our industry—and the broader market—are hemorrhaging right now." Further confirmation arrived from Dwayne Waite Jr., the studio’s marketing director, who acknowledged that the marketing department was among those affected.
He went on to name four colleagues who were part of the downsizing. In addition, the senior public‑relations manager shared a longer list of names from the art, design, and visual‑effects teams, illustrating that the cuts spanned multiple disciplines within the company. Based on the collective LinkedIn posts, it appears that roughly fourteen employees have been let go. Schell Games lists its headcount on its corporate LinkedIn page as falling somewhere between 51 and 200 staff members, so the layoffs represent a noticeable but not catastrophic percentage of the workforce.
One of the affected employees, the senior public‑relations manager, expressed a mixture of disappointment and pride in a heartfelt message. "I won’t pretend this isn’t a disappointing way to end this chapter, especially after almost six years," the manager 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 timing of these layoffs is especially striking given the public stance that Schell Games’ founder and chief executive officer, Jesse Schell, has taken 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’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." Schell’s comments suggested that the studio would absorb financial setbacks rather than resort to workforce reductions, a promise that now appears to be under strain. The broader gaming industry has been experiencing a wave of financial pressure, with rising development costs, shifting consumer habits, and a slowdown in investment capital.
Many mid‑size studios have found themselves in a precarious position, forced to balance ambitious creative visions with the realities of cash flow and market demand. Industry analysts point out that the current environment is characterized by what they term a "post‑pandemic correction." During the height of the COVID‑19 pandemic, game development saw a surge in both player engagement and investor enthusiasm, leading many companies to expand rapidly. As the pandemic receded, those expansions have often proven unsustainable, prompting a wave of restructurings, studio closures, and layoffs across the sector.
Schell Games appears to be part of this broader trend, despite its previous reputation for stability. The layoffs also raise questions about the future direction of Schell Games’ flagship projects. The studio has built a reputation for blending immersive physical experiences with digital gameplay, a niche that has attracted partnerships with museums, educational institutions, and theme parks. Their recent work on a 3D adaptation of the social deduction game Among Us demonstrated an ability to translate popular online experiences into tangible, location‑based formats.
However, the financial strain hinted at by the layoffs could affect the studio’s capacity to pursue similarly ambitious projects in the near term. Employees who remain at Schell Games are now facing the challenge of maintaining morale and productivity amid uncertainty.
Company leadership will likely need to communicate a clear plan for how the studio intends to navigate the current market headwinds while preserving the creative culture that has defined its brand. Transparent communication, revised project timelines, and perhaps a re‑evaluation of the studio’s portfolio could be essential steps to reassure the remaining staff. While GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Schell Games for an official comment on the situation, no response has been published at the time of writing.
The lack of a direct statement from Jesse Schell or other senior executives leaves room for speculation about whether the layoffs represent a one‑off adjustment or the beginning of a larger restructuring effort. In summary, Schell Games, a studio celebrated for its innovative blend of physical and digital gameplay, has announced its first-ever layoffs, affecting an estimated fourteen employees across marketing, art, design, and visual effects.
The move comes against a backdrop of industry‑wide financial tightening and appears to contradict the CEO’s previously articulated commitment to protecting jobs. As the gaming sector continues to grapple with post‑pandemic market corrections, the future of Schell Games’ projects and its workforce stability remains uncertain, pending further clarification from the company’s leadership.