Unity Announces Major Layoffs and Ends Partnership with Wētā Digital
Unity, the prominent game engine developer, is facing significant changes with the layoff of 265 employees and the closure of offices worldwide as part of a company "reset." The layoffs affect employees from Wētā Digital, which Unity had acquired in part back in 2021. Wētā FX has expressed intent to rehire many affected workers.
These layoffs coincide with Unity's latest earnings report where new CEO Jim Whitehurst highlighted the need for the company to streamline operations and refocus on efficiency and growth. Despite revenue increases, Unity reported a substantial net loss, with profitability remaining elusive except for one quarter since going public.
This year has been particularly challenging for Unity, with multiple rounds of layoffs totaling nearly 1,100 employees and a controversial new runtime fee policy that was later retracted amidst developer backlash. This upheaval followed the resignation of former CEO John Riccitiello.
The gaming community is closely watching Unity's next moves as it seeks a more sustainable and profitable path forward while trying to retain trust within the industry.
Casey Loh
Casey Loh is a tech-savvy writer who specializes in the intersection of gaming and technology. With a background in computer science, Casey brings a technical lens to her reviews, breaking down the nuts and bolts of game engines, graphics, and AI innovation.
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Comments
Seeing Unity tightening up their operations amid layoffs and reshuffling their partnership deck isn't what you want to hear as a fan of the vast range of games powered by their tech. It's a bumpy ride, but here's hoping they'll steer back onto a path that keeps them integral in the gaming scene without losing the goodwill of the community they've built.
Tough times for Unity, scaling back to regain their footing after some turbulent financials, huh It's a rough patch for sure, but their resilience will be key for both the devs that rely on them and the gaming community watching their every move.
Tough times at Unity, but it's the resilience and adaptability of the gaming industry that often turns these setbacks into comebacks. I'll be keeping an eye out to see how they bounce back and realign with the community, especially the dev folks directly hit by these changes.