Behaviour Interactive denies that recent layoffs were due to union-busting and opposition to AI
A week ago, Behaviour Interactive downsized a portion of its workforce, leading to rumors online suggesting that the layoffs were a response to the employees' desire to unionize. Additionally, it was alleged that most of those laid off were opposed to the use of generative artificial intelligence.
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The source of these rumors was a post on Reddit. It stated that representatives from a union had recently visited the Montreal office of Behaviour Interactive and distributed leaflets to employees. Some were intrigued by the ideas, and eventually, those inspired by the union movement comprised a significant portion of those laid off. Later, former employees of Behaviour Interactive confirmed to Kotaku that Game Workers Unite Montreal had visited them, but did not directly link the visit to the layoffs.
Behaviour Interactive itself, in response to Kotaku’s inquiry, denied the rumors.
“We categorically deny the allegation made in the aforementioned Reddit comment. The layoffs were in no way related to employees' stance on unionization, AI, or anything else,” declared Behaviour Interactive.
As explained by the studio, the layoffs primarily affected teams assisting other companies with the development of mobile and casual games, as demand for such projects has decreased. In total, 3% of the workforce, or about 40 people, lost their jobs.