FuturLab has announced the departure of seven members of its team after the company decided to abandon a development effort that was unrelated to its flagship title, PowerWash Simulator. The decision, which was communicated by chief executive Kirsty Rigden in an interview with This Week in Video Games, came as the project was still in its pre‑production phase. Rigden explained that the venture was projected to generate less revenue than the costs required to bring it to completion, and continuing to fund it would have been financially imprudent for the studio. In her statement, Rigden emphasized that FuturLab remains fully dedicated to delivering the best possible sequel to PowerWash Simulator, while also exploring new concepts for future titles.
She noted that this strategic focus required a reassessment of the studio’s long‑term plans and resource allocation. "These are incredibly talented individuals, many of whom have been with us for years, and I have a deep appreciation for their contributions," Rigden said.
"The choice to let some of them go was not taken lightly, but making tough decisions early helps safeguard the company's future stability." When pressed about whether the seven staff members were let go through a formal redundancy process, Rigden declined to provide further details, citing confidentiality and legal constraints surrounding the matter. According to anonymous sources speaking to This Week in Video Games, the cancellation of the unnamed project was announced by Rigden in late June. The venture had reportedly been under development for between two and three years, but had never progressed beyond the early design stage.
One source claimed that, after the cancellation, the team members who had been working on the project were left without new assignments for several weeks, creating uncertainty about their future within the company. The seven individuals who eventually left the studio were reportedly made redundant in July. Sources indicated that their direct supervisors and team leads were not informed in advance about the layoffs, nor were they told why the affected employees would be absent. This lack of communication, according to the sources, contributed to an atmosphere of confusion and anxiety among remaining staff.
In August, FuturLab reportedly held a meeting in which chief operating officer Chris Mehers described the situation as a restructuring of the studio. During a follow‑up session, employees were allegedly instructed to avoid using the term "redundancy" when referring to the departing colleagues, instead labeling them as "the leavers." The guidance was presented as a way to soften the language around the cuts and to maintain morale among the remaining workforce. Further details from the sources suggest that the departing staff were not required for the development of PowerWash Simulator 2, and that their exit would not have any adverse effect on the sequel’s production schedule. Managers and team leads were reportedly excluded from the selection process for the layoffs, a decision that was justified by the company as an effort to shield those leaders from personal guilt and to reduce the emotional strain on the employees who were being let go.
According to the accounts, this approach was also intended to prevent the affected individuals from experiencing prolonged uncertainty about their job security during the two‑week notice period. The situation at FuturLab adds to a broader conversation about how indie studios handle workforce reductions, especially when they are tied to the cancellation of projects that have been in development for an extended period.
GamesIndustry.biz previously interviewed Rigden about the studio’s future direction, during which she hinted at a pipeline of new ideas beyond PowerWash Simulator. "We’ve always tried to run two projects at once, so we have another game that I’m really excited about," she said. "We don’t want to be known solely as a PowerWash studio; we’re constantly asking ourselves, ‘What else can we create?’" Industry observers note that the practice of avoiding the word "redundancy" in internal communications is not uncommon, as companies often seek to frame layoffs in a less negative light. However, critics argue that such euphemisms can obscure the reality of job loss and may hinder transparent dialogue about the challenges facing the studio.
While FuturLab’s leadership maintains that the decision was driven by sound financial reasoning and a desire to protect the long‑term health of the company, the experience of the seven former employees underscores the human impact of project cancellations in the video‑game sector. As the studio moves forward with PowerWash Simulator 2 and continues to prototype new concepts, the episode serves as a reminder of the delicate balance indie developers must strike between creative ambition, fiscal responsibility, and the well‑being of their teams.