Supermassive has laid off 36 employees and postponed the release of Directive 8020 to the "first half of 2026"

The release of the horror game, Directive 8020, by Supermassive Games, the creators of Dark Pictures and The Quarry, has been postponed. The studio also revealed job cuts.

In a recent announcement on social media, Supermassive described the gaming sector as "challenging and ever-evolving," leading to a "redundancy consultation process" that might result in up to 36 layoffs.

"This decision was not taken lightly, and we know this will be an incredibly difficult time for everyone," the statement reflected, emphasizing the commitment to support those impacted.

Directive 8020's launch has been postponed to "the first half of 2026," though this delay does not affect the progress of Little Nightmares 3's development.

This year, approximately 4,000 industry professionals have faced unemployment, with recent reductions at EA, including Respawn, plus layoffs at People Can Fly, Jagex, and Build a Rocket Boy. Moreover, over 9,000 individuals have felt the impact of layoffs initiated by Microsoft, which started reducing positions in its gaming department earlier this month.