Homeworld 3 studio Blackbird Interactive lays off a number of its employees

Canadian game development studio Blackbird Interactive is laying off a number of its employees, employees have revealed.

The studio, which employed around 220 employees in December 2023 according to its studio presentation information sheetcurrently working on upcoming real-time strategy game Homeworld 3as well as the sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder, Without land. It has already been developed Hardspace: Shipbreaker and co-developed Minecraft Legends alongside Mojang Studios.

As a game developer reports, the news was first shared by a number of affected employees on LinkedIn. One of them was Jacob Van Rooyen, who served as lead producer on a new IP project at the studio.

“This morning, Blackbird Interactive announced layoffs across the company and, unfortunately, I was one of those affected,” he said. wrote yesterday (February 14). “Despite the situation, I appreciate all the wonderful experiences and people I have met and known at BBI. I was amazed and touched by everyone’s support today, and I wish everyone the best possible impact to land on their feet again. »

Other people involved include the associate programmer Dylan Freddy, as well as lead and lead game designer Victoria Wojcik. Wojčik wrote: “2024 promises to be full of surprises! I’m looking for a job. Unfortunately, I have been affected by the recent layoffs.

As of this writing, it is unclear how many people have been affected by these layoffs, but TechRadar Gaming has reached out to Blackbird Interactive for comment, and we will update this story if we receive a response.

This latest news follows that of last week announcement that Homeworld 3The release of is delayed by a few months, from March 8 to May 13 (advanced access will begin on May 10). In a statement released at the time, the developer revealed that the decision to delay the game came from “careful analysis of feedback” from players.

“To say that you, as a gaming community, are patiently awaiting this next installment would be an understatement, and we deeply appreciate it,” the studio wrote at the time. “We will continue to keep you informed of our progress.”

Looking for new games to dive into? Don’t forget to check out our roundup of best PC gamesas good as best strategy games on PC.