Schell Games, the studio best known for co‑creating the three‑dimensional version of the viral hit *Among Us* and for the critically acclaimed *I Expect You to Die* series, has recently confirmed that it is cutting staff positions. The news emerged after a series of LinkedIn updates from employees indicated that the layoffs began on Friday of the previous week. The first public indication came from the studio’s principal engineering manager, who posted that Schell Games experienced its inaugural round of layoffs that day. The manager clarified that they themselves were not among those let go and emphasized that the reductions were not tied to any personal performance issues.
"This isn’t a result of any individual actions. Our industry (and beyond) right now is bleeding heavily," the manager wrote, echoing a sentiment that many in the broader gaming sector have voiced amid a prolonged market downturn.
Further confirmation arrived from Dwayne Waite Jr., the company’s marketing director, who disclosed that the marketing department was directly affected. He identified four colleagues who were part of the cut, providing names and brief acknowledgments of their contributions. In addition, the senior public‑relations manager for Schell Games shared a separate list of employees from the art, design, and visual‑effects teams who were also impacted, expanding the known scope of the layoffs. Based on the collective posts, industry observers estimate that roughly fourteen individuals have been laid off.
This figure is notable given Schell Games’ own LinkedIn profile, which lists the studio’s headcount as ranging between 51 and 200 employees. If the estimate is accurate, the cuts represent a significant percentage of the workforce, especially for a mid‑size studio that has historically prided itself on a stable, collaborative environment.
One of the affected employees, the senior public‑relations manager, expressed a mixture of disappointment and pride in a reflective LinkedIn entry. "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 sentiment captured a common thread among many laid‑off workers in the industry: a deep sense of loyalty to the projects and teammates, juxtaposed with the harsh reality of economic pressures.
The layoffs are particularly striking because they occur despite the public stance taken by Schell Games’ founder and CEO, Jesse Schell, who has long advocated against job cuts. In a 2024 interview with *GamesIndustry.biz*, Schell articulated a philosophy that separates financial risk from personnel risk. He explained that while the studio is willing to gamble cash on game development, it strives to keep employment stable regardless of a title’s commercial performance. "At the heart of it all is choosing not to put jobs at risk," Schell said during that interview.
"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." The current round of reductions appears to contradict that earlier commitment, prompting speculation about the underlying factors. Analysts point to several possible contributors: a lingering post‑pandemic slowdown in consumer spending on games, increased competition from larger publishers, and the high cost of developing immersive experiences such as virtual‑reality titles, which Schell Games has been a pioneer in creating. Moreover, the broader industry has been described as "hemorrhaging"—a term used by multiple insiders to illustrate the rapid decline in revenue streams, shrinking ad budgets, and the consolidation of smaller studios into larger entities.
While *GamesIndustry.biz* has reached out to Schell Games for comment on the discrepancy between the CEO’s stated philosophy and the recent layoffs, no official response has been published as of this writing. The lack of a direct statement leaves room for speculation about whether the decision was driven by unavoidable cash‑flow constraints, strategic realignment, or perhaps an unexpected shortfall in projected earnings from upcoming projects.
In the meantime, the affected employees have been navigating the transition with a mix of resilience and optimism. Several have announced plans to pursue freelance work, join other indie studios, or even embark on new entrepreneurial ventures within the gaming ecosystem. The studio’s reputation for fostering creative talent may serve as a valuable credential for these individuals as they seek new opportunities. The situation at Schell Games underscores a broader trend affecting mid‑size developers worldwide: the delicate balance between creative ambition and fiscal sustainability.
As the market continues to evolve, studios are increasingly forced to make difficult choices about staffing, project scope, and investment priorities. For Schell Games, the hope expressed by many of its former staff is that the company can weather the current storm, honor its longstanding commitment to employee stability, and eventually emerge with a renewed focus on innovative game experiences that have defined its brand from the beginning. The episode also serves as a reminder to industry observers that even studios with strong leadership and a clear ethical stance are not immune to macro‑economic pressures.
As the gaming sector navigates an uncertain future, the experiences of Schell Games and its workforce will likely be examined as a case study in how companies adapt—or struggle—to maintain both creative excellence and workforce continuity in a volatile market.