Beamdog, the studio based by former BioWare builders Trent Oster and Cameron Tofer, is greatest recognized for re-releases of CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, Planescape: Torment, Neverwinter Nights, and Icewind Dale. It was acquired by Embracer Group earlier this 12 months, and its newest recreation, Mythforce (which is principally Vermintide if it seemed like a He-Man cartoon) got here out of early entry this month. It is the type of on-line co-op recreation that might profit from strong post-launch assist, which makes now a particulaly tough time for 26 members of the crew to be laid off.
Amongst them is affiliate graphic artist Jill Hollet, who wrote on LinkedIn, “Regrettably, as a part of the Embracer Group’s ongoing restructuring initiative, Beamdog made the troublesome determination to launch 26 staff, myself amongst them. I’m extremely grateful to them for affording me the chance to embark upon my skilled journey within the trade. It has been an honor to collaborate with such distinctive people throughout my time there.”
Embracer Group went on an acquisition spree in 2021 and 2022, snaffling up Gearbox, Saber Interactive, Koch Media (rebranded as Plaion), Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, Sq. Enix Montreal, Center-earth Enterprises, Tripwire, and others. Its fortunes circled with the collapse of a $2 billion deal, which necessitated restructuring, within the type of a string of layoffs and studio closures.
Saints Row studio Volition was closed down, and Borderlands developer Gearbox is rumored to be up on the market. Embracer additionally closed Campfire Cabal, a studio headed by the creator of the Expeditions sequence of RPGs.