When it comes to successful launches for a game, many would presume that it would be a cause for celebration, with many eyes on them waiting to see what comes next. But in the current landscape of the gaming industry, that isn’t the case, whether a game has a successful launch, receives great reviews, or is poorly received. Goes on to break records or lose all momentum, the studio still has to fear layoffs. Such is the case for the cosmic horror shooter Luna Abyss, which launched on May 21 and received positive reviews. And now, only weeks after the launch, the entire studio has been laid off. The reasoning behind it is that the team has been made redundant and is “completely outside of our control,” said Hollie Emery, CEO of Kwalee Labs.
Luna Abyss is a cosmic shooter that’s currently available on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox. And in the game, you play as a prisoner forced to explore a derelict mega-structure under the surface of a moon called Luna. The game itself was well received with a current 81 on Metacritic, so the fact that the whole team is being laid off is baffling. In a LinkedIn post on June 16, Kwalee Labs CEO Hollie Emery announced that the entire team has been made redundant, adding that the decision is “completely outside of our control.” There is no explanation for why this happened. All we can go off of are these words.
“We’re enamoured by the love and support it received both by our industry and critically by journalists and media. Whilst we faced many challenges along the way, it has been the highlight of our careers – and we are incredibly proud that it has finally seen the light of day (thank you to everyone who believed in us!).”
“Unfortunately, as of yesterday, the entire team has been made redundant; a decision that was completely outside of our control. As a result, the entire team are available for work as of today.”
Honestly, no matter how you spin this, the situation sucks all around. The entire team comprises 9 people who are clearly passionate about games, and Luna Abyss shows that the game is well-made and plays really well. But if this situation isn’t indicative of the current gaming landscape, I don’t know what is. It is unknown what happens next for Kwalee Labs. The future is unknown. The only hope is that the development team can find new jobs and continue making great games.
Luna Abyss is currently available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.