What is the story about?
What's Happening?
The Outsiders, a game development studio founded by Battlefield veteran David Goldfarb, is closing down as part of broader job cuts at its parent company, Funcom. The studio, established in 2015, faced a significant setback when its game Darkborn was canceled in 2020. Despite this, The Outsiders released the rhythm-action game Metal: Hellsinger in 2022. Goldfarb expressed gratitude for the opportunity to create Metal: Hellsinger and acknowledged the challenges faced by the team. He emphasized that while the studio is closing, they are not giving up and intend to continue in a new form. The Outsiders had approximately 60 employees at its Stockholm office.
Why It's Important?
The closure of The Outsiders highlights the volatility and challenges within the gaming industry, particularly for smaller studios. Despite the success of Metal: Hellsinger, the studio's closure underscores the financial pressures and strategic decisions that can impact even well-regarded developers. This development may affect the employees who are now facing job uncertainty and could influence the broader gaming community by reducing the diversity of creative voices. The decision by Funcom to cut jobs despite a successful release like Dune: Awakening reflects the complex dynamics of managing resources and projects in the gaming sector.
What's Next?
David Goldfarb and his team plan to regroup and explore new opportunities to continue their work in the gaming industry. The future direction of The Outsiders, or its successor, will depend on securing new partnerships or funding. The gaming community and industry stakeholders will be watching closely to see how Goldfarb and his team navigate this transition. Additionally, Funcom's strategic decisions and their impact on other projects and employees will be of interest to industry analysts.
AI Generated Content
Do you find this article useful?
