Schell Games, the studio best known for co‑creating the three‑dimensional version of the wildly popular game Among Us and for producing the critically acclaimed I Expect You To Die series, has recently been forced to cut staff positions. The news surfaced after several employees posted about the layoffs on LinkedIn, prompting coverage by Game Developer and other industry outlets. The first public indication of the reductions came from the studio’s principal engineering manager, who shared that the company experienced its inaugural round of layoffs on a Friday.
The manager made it clear that they themselves were not among those let go, and they added a note of reassurance to their colleagues: "This isn’t a result of any individual actions. Our sector is currently losing talent at a rapid pace." Further confirmation arrived from Dwayne Waite Jr., the studio’s marketing director, who disclosed that the marketing department was directly impacted. He listed four specific individuals whose positions were eliminated, and the senior public relations manager later added names from the art, design, and visual‑effects teams, painting a broader picture of the cuts across multiple disciplines. By tallying the publicly shared names and reports, observers estimate that roughly fourteen employees have been affected in total.
This figure is notable given that Schell Games’ LinkedIn profile lists the company’s headcount as ranging between 51 and 200 staff members, meaning the layoffs represent a significant proportion of the workforce. One of the affected employees, the senior public relations manager, expressed a mixture of disappointment and pride in a heartfelt LinkedIn update. "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." The timing of these layoffs is particularly striking because Schell Games’ founder and chief executive officer, Jesse Schell, has long positioned himself as an outspoken opponent of job cuts within the gaming industry. 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 underscored a commitment to preserving staff even when projects fail to generate revenue, suggesting that the studio would rather absorb financial losses than lay off its team. This stance has earned the company a reputation for treating its employees as a core asset rather than a line item on a balance sheet.
Nevertheless, the recent reductions demonstrate that even studios with a strong public commitment to job security can be vulnerable to broader market forces. The gaming industry as a whole has been described as "hemorrhaging" talent, with many developers citing rising production costs, shifting consumer preferences, and the lingering effects of the pandemic as contributors to a more precarious economic environment. Smaller studios, in particular, often operate on thin margins and rely heavily on a steady stream of successful releases to stay afloat.
Analysts suggest that the layoffs at Schell Games may reflect a combination of internal and external pressures. On the internal side, the company has been expanding its portfolio beyond traditional tabletop‑style experiences into more ambitious VR and AR projects, which demand higher upfront investment and longer development cycles. On the external side, the overall market for immersive experiences has seen a slowdown, with some investors pulling back funding and publishers becoming more cautious about green‑lighting high‑risk titles. The impact of the layoffs extends beyond the individuals directly affected.
When a studio reduces its staff, it often leads to a redistribution of workload among remaining employees, potential delays in ongoing projects, and a shift in company culture as teams adjust to new dynamics. For Schell Games, which has cultivated a reputation for collaborative, interdisciplinary development, the loss of key designers, artists, and marketers could pose challenges to maintaining the same level of creative output and brand visibility. Industry observers are also watching how the company’s leadership will respond to this situation moving forward.
Some speculate that Schell Games might pivot toward a more project‑based staffing model, hiring freelancers or contract workers for specific phases of development rather than maintaining a large permanent roster. Others hope that the studio will seek additional funding or strategic partnerships to stabilize its finances without further reductions.
In the meantime, the affected employees have expressed gratitude for the experience and camaraderie they enjoyed during their tenure. Their public statements reflect a common sentiment among game developers who, despite facing unexpected job loss, remain proud of the work they contributed and optimistic about future opportunities in a vibrant industry.
GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Schell Games for comment on the layoffs and the apparent divergence from Jesse Schell’s previously stated philosophy on job security. As of now, no official response has been published, leaving the community to await further clarification on the company’s strategic direction and how it plans to navigate the ongoing challenges that have led to this difficult decision.