Ninja Theory begins layoffs as Xbox weighs closing the studio
At least nine people at the Hellblade studio say on LinkedIn they lost their jobs or are at risk, two weeks after Xbox proposed closing it.
Several Ninja Theory employees posted farewell messages on LinkedIn on Oct. 5, saying they were laid off or are at risk of losing their jobs. Game Rant and PlayStation Universe picked up the posts, which are the first sign the Hellblade studio is losing people since Xbox proposed closing it.
Game Rant cites two cases. Alessio Mellina, technical sound director, is at risk of redundancy after nearly 12 years at the studio. Katrin Mair, a gameplay programmer, was laid off after four years and had moved to the UK for the job. She wrote that it is "incredibly sad" to know she and her colleagues will not get to finish the game they were working on.
PlayStation Universe adds seven more names, including technical director Loong-Wei Ding and lead sound designer Daniele Galante. The coverage differs on how that last name is spelled and on who has already left versus who is only at risk. The original posts could not be opened.
The posts refer to the UK redundancy process, the formal consultation that precedes collective dismissals. It is the same step Matt Booty, Xbox's content chief, announced on Sept. 22 on Xbox Wire: a consultation with employees on a proposed closure, while Xbox kept exploring "other paths forward" for the studio.
Neither Xbox nor Ninja Theory has issued a new statement, and there is no figure for how many people are leaving.
It is also unclear what happens to Senua, the game the studio unveiled in June and that Game Rant places in 2027. The Xbox memo does not mention it.
