Virtuos, the Gaming Giant, Announces Layoffs

Sure, let’s dive into this. So, where to begin? Ah, Virtuos. News dropped that they’re laying off a bunch of people. Yes, another one bites the dust, as they say… or was it “another brick in the wall”? Whatever. Somewhere around 300 folks out of a job. I mean, that’s a lot of coffee mugs to pack up.

Apparently, a French journalist, Gauthier Andres, broke it first. Found this nugget on BlueSky — that’s where all the cool cats hang out now, I guess. Anyway, he’s saying seven percent of their staff, poof, gone. If my math’s right — and it’s often not — that’s like 300 people. But hey, math was never my strong suit.

Virtuos did confirm, if you’re wondering. Seems like most of the layoffs are in Asia, about 200 there. Europe’s next up for the chopping block with 70 positions, and then there’s France with “fewer than ten.” Very specific, right? Maybe someone sneezed while counting.

They’ve got their reasons, supposedly. Something about “changing needs” and the industry being all topsy-turvy. They say game development’s getting more complex. Really? Took ‘em this long to notice? But Virtuos is shuffling things around, aiming to be big shots in co-development — like handling full game engineering, art, the whole shebang.

Guess they’re offering separation pay and job-hunting assistance. I really hope that doesn’t mean “we’ll send you a nice letter of recommendation.” But hey, at least they’re trying, right?

And if you’ve been living under a rock, or just don’t play games, Virtuos worked on The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered — yep, earlier this year. Throw in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, too. Versatile bunch, for real. They’ve even had hands in games like Dune: Awakening, Cyberpunk 2077, and Sea of Thieves. Quite the resume, if you ask me.

Also, this layoff trend isn’t exactly new. Microsoft’s been playing this tune quite a bit — four rounds in 18 months. And that’s just the tip of the sitcom iceberg they call the gaming industry these days.

So there you have it — a messy little jaunt through the latest in gaming biz budget cuts. No idea why it fascinates me, but here I am, diving in.