Funcom is shutting down The Outsiders, the studio behind Metal Hellsinger

David Goldfarb, founder and creative director of The Outsiders, has revealed that the development studio responsible for Metal Hellsinger is closing its doors following a decision by its parent company, Funcom.

Through a post on Bluesky, Goldfarb expressed: "I have not had much time to process the news but all of us at The Outsiders and Funcom Stockholm have been affected by the layoffs at Funcom and our 10-year-old studio will be closing."

Funcom, known for the recent release of Dune: Awakening, confirmed its restructuring strategy which includes staff reductions on October 1. They described the new game as "the biggest release we’ve had in our 32-year long history of making great games" in a note to GamesIndustry.biz and indicated workforce reductions were part of their restructuring plans.

Goldfarb reminisced on the resilience of the team, mentioning their past struggles when the Darkborn project was canceled, resulting in the creation of Metal Hellsinger thanks to the team's dedication and persistence.

"Creating Metal Hellsinger was a high point for me, and I am immensely thankful to everyone who was part of its success," Goldfarb noted. He added, "While we had hoped to achieve even greater success, not everything unfolds as expected."

He conveyed optimism for the future, admitting the current challenges but expressing resolve to continue in a different capacity. Goldfarb appealed for assistance in terms of business opportunities, employee placements, or any support that might be available, acknowledging the difficulty of change and the current situation.

The recent events at Funcom contribute to an ongoing trend, with the cumulative number of developers affected by layoffs in 2025 reaching at least 4,400, though the true total could be higher due to incomplete disclosures from various companies.