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Dead by Daylight studio Behaviour Interactive is making “strategic changes for future growth” that will “draw upon the company’s historical strengths to craft an ambitious vision for its future success.” And in case there’s any doubt, yes, that means layoffs are happening.
Behaviour said in a press release that the company currently has roughly 1,300 employees, up from 575 just five years ago. But the “unprecedented popularity” of the videogame industry responsible for that growth, it added, “has also led to unprecedented competition.”
“Within this challenging context, Behaviour has renewed its focus on its historical strengths,” Behaviour said. “These include the company’s leading position in horror gaming, its production expertise, and its thirty-year history of providing exceptional service to its development partners.
“To pursue this clarified vision, Behaviour will implement multiple strategic changes to its corporate structure, improving the distinction between its product, production, business development, and marketing resources. As a result of these changes, the company will reduce its team by up to 95 employees, 70 of whom are based in Montreal.”
Behaviour Interactive said the layoffs will not impact the development of Dead by Daylight; a studio representative separately confirmed with PC Gamer that Behaviour’s base-building shooter Meet Your Maker and the singleplayer Dead by Daylight spinoff The Casting of Frank Stone, which is actually being developed by Supermassive, are “business as usual.”
Behaviour Interactive co-founder and CEO Rémi Racine expressed “deep personal appreciation for any employee affected by today’s changes,” but also spun the layoffs as a win—except, I would assume, for any employee being shown the door.
“While changes to our structure and strategic vision have led to challenging decisions, we are confident that these decisions will position us for continued success,” Racine said. “As we begin the next phase of Behaviour’s growth, our commitment to excellence in our products and workplace culture remains steadfast.”
The layoffs come less than five months after a previous round of cuts at Behaviour Interactive that saw 40 people put out of work due to “changing market conditions,” and are the latest bit of awfulness that’s plagued the videogame industry since the beginning of 2023. Just yesterday, Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios Group laid off roughly 50 employees and closed two of its five studios (one of which it only acquired eight months ago), while Intercept Games, Phoenix Labs, and Square Enix all announced layoffs in May. May also saw the outright closure of four entire studios by Microsoft, including Prey developer Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush maker Tango Gameworks.