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Game Studio Layoff Watch: Supermassive, Ninja Theory and The Coalition

Supermassive departures were reported after a consultation; Ninja Theory staff described job losses or risk during consultation. The Coalition had announced no studio-wide layoffs as of October 5, 2026.
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As of PC Gamer’s October 5, 2026 report, Supermassive Games’ redundancy process appeared to have resulted in departures, Ninja Theory staff were reporting job losses or risk of redundancy during consultation, and The Coalition had announced no studio-wide layoffs. Warhorse co-founder Martin Klima warned that cost-cutting could push more development work to lower-cost regions; he did not announce a move by Warhorse.

What is confirmed, reported and feared?

The October 5, 2026 roundup draws on company statements, employee posts and comments, and reporting from other outlets. Those forms of evidence describe different things: an announced consultation is not a confirmed final headcount, an employee’s account is not a company-wide announcement, and concern about future cuts is not proof that cuts are planned.

Studio or subject Status in the October 5 report What the report does not establish
Supermassive Games Company announced a redundancy consultation that could affect up to 75 employees; later employee posts indicated departures had taken place. A final company-confirmed number of people who left or the studio’s remaining headcount.
Ninja Theory Staff reported being let go or being at risk of redundancy amid reported changes to Microsoft’s plans for the studio and a UK consultation process. A completed final outcome for the studio’s sale, closure or all affected employees.
The Coalition No studio-wide layoffs had been announced. Reporting described concern among employees and referred to individual cuts. A confirmed future layoff or reorganization plan, or verified performance-bonus terms.
Warhorse Studios Co-founder Martin Klima forecast that cost pressure could shift work to lower-cost regions. Any announced relocation by Warhorse or another named studio.

Supermassive Games: consultation followed by reported departures

In August 2026, Supermassive said it had begun a redundancy consultation that could affect up to 75 employees. The company described the move as “a necessary step to help ensure the sustainability of the company,” according to PC Gamer’s report on the consultation.

By October 5, LinkedIn posts from former employees cited by PC Gamer indicated the redundancies had been carried out. Frank Tindle, Supermassive’s IT and facilities director, wrote that “More than 70 brilliant people are leaving Supermassive,” naming developers, artists, producers, QA, operations and others, and added: “Any studio would be lucky to have them.” That is an employee’s account, not a final company-confirmed tally. The follow-up report said the number of employees remaining after the cuts had not been disclosed.

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Ninja Theory: reported job losses during consultation

PC Gamer reported that Microsoft considered closing or selling Ninja Theory in June 2026, announced a sale during its July restructuring, and then saw two attempts to divest the studio reportedly fall through in September. By October 5, multiple staff members were posting that they had been let go or were at risk of losing their jobs.

The report described the situation as unfolding during the legally required consultation period for UK employees. That distinction matters: staff reports of job losses or risk do not establish that every proposed redundancy had been completed. Ninja Theory gameplay programmer Katrin Mair wrote that it was “incredibly sad” the team would not get to finish its work, and wished they had the chance to see what it could become. PC Gamer presented her words as an employee’s response, not an official company statement.

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Are there layoffs at The Coalition?

No studio-wide layoffs had been announced at The Coalition in PC Gamer’s October 5 account. The roundup did report that Juan Vaca, story director on Gears of War: E-Day, was laid off in September as part of Microsoft’s cuts, and that other people were reportedly cut shortly before. It attributed reports of employee concern about the studio to Eurogamer and anonymous sources.

Those reported concerns included the possibility of post-release layoffs or a reorganization, and uncertainty about performance bonuses. One anonymous employee, quoted through PC Gamer’s account of Eurogamer reporting, said: “We honestly expected the layoffs to hit us post-release, but that seems to not matter now.” The same employee expressed concern about a “next wave” or being reorganized under Activision. These are fears reported by an anonymous source, not a Microsoft-stated plan or confirmation that another wave is coming.

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Warhorse’s warning: development could move to lower-cost regions

In a September 2026 interview with PC Gamer, Warhorse co-founder Martin Klima predicted that efforts to reduce development costs could lead studios to move operations to cheaper countries. He named Central and Eastern Europe, China, India and East Asia more broadly. His comments are a forecast about a possible industry response to cost pressure, not an announcement that Warhorse—or any other specific studio—will relocate.

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How to read the status updates

  • Consultation: a process that may lead to redundancies; it is not itself a final count of job losses.
  • Employee posts or comments: useful evidence of individual experiences, but not automatically a company-confirmed studio-wide figure.
  • Anonymous-source fears: report them as concerns, not as confirmed plans.
  • Industry forecasts: distinguish predictions about where work might go from an actual company relocation.

PC Gamer’s coverage is a fast-moving snapshot dated October 5, 2026. Its roundup relies in places on employee posts, anonymous sources and other outlets; later company or parent-company statements could change the status of these situations.

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