Heart Machine hit by another series of employee layoffs

Heart Machine, a studio located in Los Angeles, has made cutbacks to its workforce, although they haven't specified the number of layoffs.

According to a report by Game Developer, the studio has let go of several talented staff members as they move towards completing Hyper Light Breaker, currently in early access.

The company stated, "This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances."

The decision was attributed to several factors beyond the company's control, such as funding fluctuations, corporate mergers, and the challenging environment small studios like theirs face today.

Despite the setbacks, Heart Machine mentioned they have "something coming in January" for Hyper Light Breaker and intend for the game to conclude on a fulfilling note.

The developer emphasized their goal of delivering a meaningful product, as polished and complete as possible amid current constraints.

They are concentrating on refining essential features, albeit the limited resources from team members leaving the project, and noted that no further updates or Q&A sessions would be offered for the remainder of the year.

The focus is firmly on ensuring the team's full attention is on making the upcoming release a success.

The game made its debut in early access earlier this year.

Back in November 2024, Heart Machine reduced its workforce, describing it as a "portion" of the team.

During that period, the development of Hyper Light Breaker was still ongoing, and the studio assured that job reductions would not hinder progress.

The studio expressed confidence that a successful launch would pave the way for new opportunities for those impacted as the game evolves during its early access phase.