Schell Games, the co-developer of Among Us VR, has announced a second round of layoffs in 2023

Image credit: Schell Games/Innersloth/Robot Teddy

Schell Games, specializing in virtual reality development, has revealed another wave of staff reductions this year.

In a statement shared on LinkedIn, the company expressed, "We are deeply saddened to announce that the challenging conditions in the gaming market have forced us to reduce our workforce significantly to maintain our studio's future viability."

The company further noted, "This measure, although necessary for future stability, is difficult because it means parting with extremely talented team members."

The total number of employees let go wasn't specified. The layoffs affected areas such as engineering, design, audio, marketing, IT support, research, and quality assurance.

Situated in Pittsburgh, Schell Games is widely recognized for its VR series "I Expect You To Die" and its collaboration on the VR version of the popular game "Among Us." The studio also creates educational virtual reality content.

The recent layoffs follow a previous reduction in August, marking the first staffing cuts since the company's establishment in 2002.

CEO Jesse Schell has been a proponent of maintaining employment levels, having emphasized the importance of "prioritizing stability" to GamesIndustry.biz in 2024 to avoid layoffs.

He remarked, "Business operations come without guarantees. It largely depends on what is given priority. Prioritizing stability can lead to maintaining it, but it requires extensive time, thought, and attention."

Schell added, "Layoffs can be compared to an avalanche. If necessary, it's strategic to align with broader industry trends. That way, the situation can be attributed to the economy rather than internal issues, portraying it as a normal occurrence. We're hoping for circumstances to stabilize soon."