Meta Layoffs Hit Ready at Dawn and Downpour Interactive

The recent wave of layoffs at Meta has impacted staff at VR game development studios Ready At Dawn and Downpour Interactive. Meta, the company behind Facebook, announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs by the end of 2023, following an earlier round of 11,000 layoffs in November. This week, employees from Ready At Dawn and Downpour Interactive took to Twitter to share news of their termination, as reported by Eurogamer. At Ready At Dawn, technical designer Colin McInerney and senior engine/graphics programmer Thomas Griebel were among those let go, with Griebel stating that nearly a third of the studio's staff were laid off, including the head of the studio. Downpour Interactive's senior designer Michael Tsarouhas and studio level designer Daan van Zelst also announced their departure from the company. Meta acquired Ready At Dawn in 2020 and purchased Downpour Interactive the following year. Ready At Dawn is known for developing the VR series Lone Echo and exclusive PlayStation titles such as The Order: 1886 and the God of War games for PSP. Downpour Interactive, on the other hand, is behind the VR military simulator/shooter Onward.