FuturLab has recently announced a reduction in its staff, letting go of seven members after the company decided to cancel a development effort that had no direct connection to its flagship title, PowerWash Simulator. The decision was communicated by CEO Kirsty Rigden in an interview with This Week in Video Games, where she explained that the shelved project was still in the pre‑production phase and projected to cost more than the revenue it could realistically generate.
"Continuing with it would not have been a sensible decision," Rigden said, emphasizing that the studio needed to prioritize financial prudence. Rigden also highlighted the studio's ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible sequel to PowerWash Simulator, while simultaneously experimenting with new concepts for future releases. "We are fully dedicated to making PowerWash Simulator 2 the strongest game we can produce, and at the same time we are prototyping fresh ideas for upcoming titles.
This dual focus has forced us to reassess our long‑term plans and the resources required to achieve them," she added. The CEO expressed genuine remorse over the layoffs, describing the affected employees as "extremely talented" and noting that many had been with FuturLab for a considerable period. "This is a painful situation because these are people I deeply respect and value.
The decision was neither easy nor swift, but making tough choices early helps safeguard the studio's future stability," Rigden remarked. When pressed about whether the departures were officially classified as redundancies, Rigden declined to provide further specifics, citing confidentiality and a legally binding process that prevented her from discussing the matter in detail. According to anonymous sources cited by 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 two to three years before it was halted.
One insider claimed that, after the cancellation, the team members assigned to the project were left without new assignments for several weeks, creating a period of uncertainty. The seven individuals who ultimately left the company were made redundant in July, according to the same sources.
It was alleged that managers and team leads were not informed in advance about which of their direct reports would be exiting or the reasons behind those decisions. This lack of communication reportedly contributed to a sense of confusion within the studio.
In August, FuturLab reportedly held a meeting during which Chief Operating Officer Chris Mehers described the organization as undergoing a restructuring phase. In a subsequent briefing, employees were instructed to avoid using the term "redundancy" when referring to the departing staff, opting instead for the phrase "the leavers." This language choice was presented as a way to soften the impact of the layoffs on morale. Further reports indicated that the remaining staff were told the departing employees would not be required for the development of PowerWash Simulator 2, and that their exit would not hinder the sequel's progress.
Additionally, it was suggested that managers and team leads were deliberately excluded from the selection process for the layoffs to shield them from personal guilt, and to reduce the stress for those being let go, who might otherwise spend weeks uncertain about their job security. GamesIndustry.biz previously interviewed Rigden about FuturLab's future direction, including the now‑canceled project. During that conversation, she expressed enthusiasm for having multiple initiatives in the pipeline.
"We have always aimed to work on two projects at the same time, so there is another game that I’m really excited about. We don’t want to be known solely as a PowerWash studio; we’re constantly asking ourselves, ‘What else can we create?’" she said. The situation at FuturLab underscores the challenges that independent studios face when balancing creative ambition with financial realities. While the company remains focused on delivering a high‑quality sequel to its popular cleaning‑simulation game, the recent staff reductions highlight the difficult trade‑offs that can arise when a project fails to meet projected profitability thresholds.
The decision to label departing employees as "the leavers" rather than using standard redundancy terminology suggests an attempt to manage internal perception and maintain a positive culture, even amid inevitable upheaval. As FuturLab moves forward, the industry will be watching to see how the studio navigates its restructuring, whether the new, undisclosed project reaches fruition, and how the remaining team adapts to the evolving workload. The broader conversation about employee communication, transparency, and the handling of layoffs continues to resonate across the gaming sector, reminding companies of the human impact behind strategic business choices.