(Photo : Skybox Labs / Screenshot taken from official website)
Netease subsidiary Skybox Labs laid off 25 people following the parent company's recent troubles, including the closure of Visions of Mana studio.
The Canadian developer previously announced the layoffs on LinkedIn, noting that it happened despite efforts to keep the current structure. A statement noted that Skybox Labs was not immune to the unprecedented challenges that have affected the majority of the industry.
Skybox Labs Layoffs
The layoffs at the Netease subsidiary are the latest in a continued issue throughout the video games industry for the past couple of years. Skybox Labs' statement also noted that every worker who was affected by the recent decision will be "fully supported."
This will be done through severance, extended benefits, career transition service, and connection to other resources. The latter can provide affected staff with the assistance they need during this challenging time, according to WCCFTech.
The benefits and assistance that Skybox Labs is offering to laid-off employees are already generous compared to what other studios provide their workers who were cut off. Many companies did not provide laid-off workers with any help after they were removed.
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Bungie has come under fire several times over time following its decisions to lay off workers. The studio has experienced multiple layoffs this year and its financial status means that more job cuts could happen as shareholders pressure for a restructure.
Skybox Labs' recent statement about the development noted that it was grateful to every worker who decided to become part of the team. The studio also thanked them for their contribution to the great games that they created together, GamesIndustry said.
The layoffs also occurred after Netease Games cut all but a handful of job roles at Tokyo-based subsidiary Ouka Studios. The latter was responsible for the recent release of Visions of Mana for Square Enix.
Closure of Ouka Studios
The few workers that remained were allegedly given the task of overseeing the rollout of the studio's final games. Ouka Studios was founded in 2020 and two years after it outlined three projects it was working on.
Before the closure of the studio, Netease Games said that it had "nothing to announce" regarding the rumored issue. It added that it was seeing progress at the many Japanese studios that it was invested in.
A spokesperson said that they craft their strategy in supporting studios outside of China based on their goal of providing better gaming experiences to both local and global players, according to Gematsu.
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