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In the latest round of game industry layoffs, Minecraft Legends developer Blackbird Interactive announced it will let go of over 40 employees.
Blackbird Interactive lays off 41 employees following the cancellation of several unannounced projects
News of the layoffs at Blackbird Interactive was first shared on LinkedIn by one of the company’s employees. Calling it “another really crappy day in the game industry” and attempting to find work for some employees affected by the layoffs, Blackbird Interactive technical animator James Marshall stated that over 40 people were let go from the company. The job cuts at Blackbird Interactive come on the heels of massive layoffs at BioWare and other major developers in recent months.
In response to a request for more information about the layoffs from IGN, a spokesperson for Blackbird Interactive provided a bit more context for the unexpected decision. Clarifying that 41 employees in total were let go from the company, the statement indicated that the layoffs followed the cancellation of “several unannounced projects” at Blackbird Interactive over the last year.
The statement goes on to clarify that no previously announced projects at the studio, such as the long-awaited Homeworld 3, will be affected by the layoffs and that the company will continue work on those titles. The spokesperson for Blackbird Interactive also indicated that the company is offering assistance to employees who were let go by providing extended benefits and severance “to help ease this transition.”
Blackbird Interactive has primarily been a PC-focused developer, with work for Gearbox Software on Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak in 2016 helping the fledgling studio make a name for itself. In recent years, however, it has also produced several titles for PlayStation consoles. Beyond its work as co-developer on Minecraft Legends for PlayStation 4 and 5, Blackbird Interactive also developed the popular sandbox space salvage game Hardspace Shipbreakers.