London-based Bossa Studios have laid off 19 of their employees, according to GameIndustry.biz. Layoffs within the game industry spiked in 2023 largely due to complications caused by the pandemic. And it’s shown no signs of slowing down.
The Bossa Studios layoffs occurred at the end of 2023, mainly affecting roles within Production, Quality Assurance (QA), and employees outside of the UK.
The studio co-founder Henrique Olifiers noted that the resulting situation was a due to a multitude of factors, ranging from increasing operational costs, delayed funding decisions and a student increase in AAA games in development..
“We often say that making games is hard, but nothing is harder than seeing people you admire being let go,” said Olifiers “Ultimately, we tried our very best to avoid being in this position, and we’re truly sorry for where we have landed.”
Olifers noted that the team at Bossa Studios will continue to support those let go, but urged peers across the industry to look into hiring the employees that were let go.
“…You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better game development professional than one of these Bossians, whom we’ll vouch for without hesitation.” He continued.
As of the start of 2024, 40 employees remain at Bossa Studios. Work within the studio has now shifted solely toward its upcoming co-op survival adventure game Lost Skies.
In Lost Skies, Up to 1–6 players can explore the remnants of an ancient civilization atop, floating islands. Players can traverse the skies with their gliders and very own Skyship on their quest to unlock the mysteries hidden around them and epic boss fights in the form of naval-styled combat.
Currently, Lost Skies has no release date, but for players that are interested, the game is available for Wishlist on Steam.