Until Dawn Developer Blames 'Challenging and Ever-Evolving Environment' as It Announces Layoffs, Delays Long-Awaited Next Horror Game Directive 8020 Until 2026

Supermassive Games, developer of Until Dawn and the Dark Pictures Anthology fearfulness series, has said it volition laic disconnected up to 36 unit successful a caller question of redundancies.

In a connection published to the studio's societal media this afternoon, Supermassive besides confirmed a hold to its long-awaited sci-fi fearfulness task Directive 8020, which volition present get successful "the archetypal fractional of 2026".

Announcing the studio's occupation losses, Supermassive said it had been forced to accommodate its squad operation to "better align" with "a challenging and ever-evolving environment" successful which to marque games. The cuts travel an earlier circular of redundancies successful March 2024, erstwhile the developer said it would shed astir 90 workers successful a similarly-worded statement.

Supermassive antecedently stated it had astir 350 employees arsenic of 2023, meaning it has laid disconnected astir a 3rd of the workplace implicit the past 18 months.

"We stay focused connected our upcoming projects and person made the determination to determination the motorboat of Directive 8020 to the archetypal fractional of 2026," Supermassive said. "The effect to the crippled truthful acold has been fantastic, and this further clip volition assistance america present the precise champion acquisition for our fans. We're profoundly grateful for the patience and enactment of our community."

A standalone introduction successful Supermassive's Dark Pictures Anthology, Directive 8020 was 1 of a database of apparently-upcoming entries successful the bid spotted backmost successful aboriginal 2022. The crippled was past made authoritative aboriginal that year, successful a trailer included astatine the extremity of The Dark Pictures: The Devil In Me. Three years on, however, and fans are inactive waiting to play it.

A connection from Supermassive Games. pic.twitter.com/Vom1CSGYGs

The Dark Pictures Anthology kicked disconnected successful 2019 with spooky vessel enigma Man of Medan, earlier 2020 humanities fearfulness Little Hope, and past 2021's Iraq-set House of Ashes. Next up was the execution hotel-inspired The Devil successful Me successful 2022, earlier past the virtual world spin-off Switchback VR a twelvemonth later.

Since then, advancement connected further entries successful the bid appears to person slowed, with Directive 8020 present acceptable to get astatine slightest 3 years aft the franchise's erstwhile entry, and positioned arsenic a much standalone title. Supermassive has said it has utilized the other clip to amended the franchise's gameplay, though links to erstwhile games — specified arsenic via the mysterious recurring quality of the Curator — dependable similar they'll beryllium played down.

In the meantime, Supermassive volition proceed moving connected its delayed Little Nightmares 3, presently acceptable to motorboat connected October 10. Development connected this task is unaffected by today's layoffs, the workplace has confirmed.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social