The company says that “restructuring efforts” have resulted in layoffs, but that doesn’t mean the end, while ex-employees claim the opposite… so someone’s lying!

Humble Games, an indie games publisher, is also putting people out on the street. It’s official. We don’t know how many people lost their jobs, but according to former senior quality control manager Emilee Kieffer, the entire staff was laid off… and Nicole Carpenter, editor of Polygon, says 36 people were let go. LinkedIn says it’s working with between 11 and 50 people. A spokesperson for Humble Games told Gematsu that they will not be closing their doors and that projects in the pipeline will continue to move towards the finish line.

Here’s Humble’s full statement: “In these challenging economic times for indie game publishing, Humble Games has made the difficult but necessary decision to restructure our operations. This decision was not made lightly; it involved much deliberation and careful thought with the goal of ensuring the stability and support of our developers and current projects. Additionally, the restructuring of Humble Games’ operations will have no impact on Humble Bundle’s operations.

We recognize the profound impact this decision has had on our team members at Humble Games, and our hearts go out to everyone affected. Our team’s contributions have been world-class and invaluable, supporting the launch of our games since we began publishing in 2017. We are committed to navigating this transition with as much empathy and understanding as possible. Supporting our development partners and helping former team members remains our top priority. We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved. Thank you for your support and compassion during this difficult time. It is deeply appreciated,” the statement said.

Well friends, me and the entirety of Humble Games was laid off this morning

If you need senior/lead QA at your game studio HI HELLO I DON'T HAVE A JOB ANYMOOOORE! pic.twitter.com/giAPAiTDsx

— 🎃Emil-EEK!🎃 (@Emilee3D) July 23, 2024

36 people were reportedly laid off at Humble Games this morning in what staff are calling a total closure of the publishing company. Devastating news — dozens of people lost their job, and the industry loses more resources.

— Nicole Carpenter (@sweetpotatoes) July 23, 2024

An unnamed ex-employee told Aftermath that the ENTIRE team was let go. Humble Games’ parent company Ziff Davis’ idea of restructuring is a lie, because it’s an attempt to put a better face on the company. No one has escaped the layoffs, and Humble Games’ game sales will not continue. Chris Radley, former creative director of Humble Games (who left the company at the end of 2022), added: “Operations have been handed over to a third party consultancy. There are NO employees left. Don’t believe this tailored message from Humble Games’ parent company, Ziff Davis, which is trying to mitigate the backlash. This was yet another failure of leadership across the board, and once again hard-working, talented employees are paying the price for their bad decisions. Every former employee is being gaslit by this narrative, and it’s so disrespectful.”

It’s a shame about the lack of honesty.

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