Supermassive Games’ layoffs appear to be complete: more than 70 employees were reportedly let go, although the studio had not publicly confirmed the outcome when Insider Gaming reported it on October 5, 2026. That reported figure is close to, but not identical to, the up-to-75 roles initially put at risk.
On August 11, Supermassive announced a redundancy consultation and said the cuts were necessary for the studio’s sustainability, as Shacknews reported. The consultation may be over. The final count remains unconfirmed.
TL;DR: Supermassive Games’ latest redundancy consultation appears complete, with more than 70 employees reportedly laid off, close to the up-to-75 roles initially at risk. The studio had not confirmed the final count. This is its third reported layoff round since 2024.
The Consultation Has Reportedly Ended
Reports say Supermassive Games’ planned cuts have been carried out, but the studio had not publicly confirmed that outcome when the report appeared. The reported headcount is not an official studio total. It comes from reporting that cited former employees, not a public statement from Supermassive.
On August 11, 2026, Supermassive announced a redundancy consultation and said up to 75 colleagues could lose their jobs. That was the number of roles at risk, not a confirmed count of eventual departures.
On October 5, reporting said the consultation appeared to have concluded and more than 70 employees had reportedly left. The shift from “at risk” to “reportedly left” is the key update: the first described a planned process, while the later account described its apparent outcome. Supermassive had not publicly confirmed the outcome.
Who Was Affected By The Cuts
Frank Tindle, Supermassive’s IT and facilities director, said in an October 2026 LinkedIn post that more than 70 departing colleagues included developers, artists, producers, quality-assurance staff and operations workers. The list covers people who make games, shape them, test them and keep the studio running. This was not one isolated team bearing the cuts.
Tindle said he joined Supermassive in 2010 and had worked there for 16 years. He described watching the studio grow from a handful of people to more than 400. Before the 2026 redundancies, Supermassive had more than 400 employees. That makes the departures more than a tidy line in a restructuring announcement: they affected colleagues across a large studio, while individual outcomes remain unknown.
A Third Round Since 2024
Supermassive’s latest cuts are its third reported round of layoffs since 2024. In February that year, Bloomberg reported that 150 staff had been told they were at risk, with about 90 expected to lose their jobs.
On July 22, 2025, Supermassive said it intended to make 36 employees redundant and had begun consultation. Its announcement paired that planned reduction with a delay for Directive 8020, which was moved to the first half of 2026 for additional development time. Supermassive said Little Nightmares III would not be affected by the planned cuts.
Supermassive says Directive 8020 came out on May 12, 2026, before the August 2026 consultation announcement. The earlier delay was announced in 2025 to allow more development time; it was not a consequence of the later layoffs. Release schedules and redundancy rounds can appear in the same announcement without one causing the other.
What The Rules Do And Don’t Tell Us
GOV.UK guidance says collective consultation rules in England, Scotland and Wales apply when an employer proposes at least 20 redundancies at one establishment within any 90-day period. The minimum consultation period is 30 days before dismissals for 20–99 proposed redundancies, and 45 days for 100 or more. The threshold and timing depend on proposed redundancies, not just the eventual headline total. GOV.UK’s guidance also says consultation must involve trade-union representatives, elected employee representatives, or staff directly if there are no representatives.
The rules turn on proposed redundancies at one establishment within a defined period, not simply the final reported headcount. A headline count is not a legal ruling wearing a lanyard.
What To Watch At Supermassive Next
We’d watch what Supermassive says next, rather than treat the reported total as a production forecast. Frank Tindle named developers, artists, producers, quality-assurance staff and operations workers among departing colleagues. That’s a broad spread across game-making and studio support, not one department getting trimmed.
That breadth makes staffing updates relevant to players. Supermassive says Directive 8020 came out on May 12, 2026; staffing news is not a release schedule for its other games.
With the consultation reportedly complete, the next meaningful signal is a clear update on Supermassive’s staffing and future project plans. The reported figure matters, but it is not the whole story.
What To Watch At Supermassive Next
If you’re following Directive 8020, Little Nightmares III or The Dark Pictures Anthology, check Supermassive’s official announcements and each game’s listing before changing your plans. Look for a confirmed change to release timing or development status. A staffing report alone answers neither question.
If you’re waiting on a particular game, use a title-specific announcement as your cue, not speculation that treats every studio cut as a delay.
Bookmark the official pages for the games you care about and check them when Supermassive posts an update. That gives you a concrete signal to act on without turning a reported headcount into a release forecast. Before making plans around a game, verify its status.
