The developers of Chernobylite 2 will lay off nearly a third of their staff following the game's disastrous launch
The Polish studio The Farm 51 has announced layoffs. It decided to reduce its staff following the weak debut of the action RPG Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone.
Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone
In the scope of the layoffs, 15 employees will leave The Farm 51. Considering the studio has just over 50 employees, about a third of the team is being cut.
In an official statement, The Farm 51 explained that the reception of Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone was worse than expected. Now, the studio is forced to change its plans for further work on the game. Specifically, instead of releasing new content, it will focus on improving existing game elements.
The developers did not disclose any specific metrics for Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone.
Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone launched in early access on Steam on March 6. It has a "mixed" rating, with the game being praised in 62% of 259 reviews. Most negative comments from gamers express dissatisfaction with optimization, graphics, and bugs. Meanwhile, some gamers noted that the game has potential and should improve by its full release.
According to SteamDB, at its peak, only 269 people played Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone simultaneously. This is 3.5 times fewer than during the early access of the first Chernobylite (and 14.6 times fewer than at its release).
The Farm 51 raised funds for the development of Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Thanks to this, the studio has received 199.6 thousand euros from 2411 backers to date.