Supermassive Games cuts more than 70 jobs after Directive 8020

• The layoffs affected development, art, production, QA, and operations.
• The move follows an earlier consultation process that could have impacted up to 75 jobs.

What happened

Kotaku reported on October 5, 2026, that Supermassive Games had laid off more than 70 employees. The report cites a LinkedIn post from Frank Tindle, the studio’s former IT and facilities director, who reportedly said that more than 70 people had left the company.

The layoffs are said to have affected multiple departments, including developers, artists, producers, QA staff, and operations personnel. That points to a broad cut across the studio. The available sources do not include a full new official statement from Supermassive Games, but they do reference an earlier post from the studio’s official X/Twitter account on August 11, 2026, reading: “A statement from Supermassive Games.” The content of that statement was not included in the provided material.

The reporting places the layoffs after the release of Directive 8020, which the sources say launched earlier in 2026. The exact release date is not confirmed in the supplied material, but the key point is that the job cuts came shortly after that release.

Background

Supermassive Games is known for narrative horror and adventure games. According to Frank Tindle’s LinkedIn post cited in the report, the studio grew to more than 400 employees, though that figure has not been officially confirmed after the layoffs.

The available sources show this is not the first cut. A previous layoff round was mentioned in July 2025, and in August 2026 a consultation process followed that could affect up to 75 roles. Eurogamer described that step as part of a statement in which the studio said the measure was needed to ensure the company’s sustainability.

There is still some uncertainty around the exact size of the October round. The main source says more than 70 people left, while earlier studio communication pointed to a possible maximum of 75 layoffs. The sources also do not specify which teams or projects were hit hardest.

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Sources

• Kotaku: Supermassive Lays Off 70 People Less Than Six Months After Releasing Its New Sci-Fi Horror Game
• Eurogamer: Supermassive Games lay-offs 70
• Official Supermassive Games account on X/Twitter: “A statement from Supermassive Games.”