Layoffs hit workers at Reflector Entertainment, makers of Unknown 9: Awakening

rockpapershotgun.com:

Workers at Reflector Entertainment, the Montreal studio that recently released third-person action adventure Unknown 9: Awakening, have been hit by layoffs, according to a number of employees who made the cuts public on social media. The studio is owned by Bandai Namco and released the game about a month ago. The exact number of people out of work isn't known, as Reflector haven't made a public statement about it. But among those affected are folks working in art, design, UI, lighting, and narrative.

The layoffs were spotted by Kotaku reporter Ethan Gach, who pointed it out on Bluesky. Sure enough, a glance at LinkedIn shows several game workers announcing they are looking for new jobs. Among those I've seen are a 3D modeller, character artist, UI programmer, community manager, lighting expert, game designer, narrative designer, and a senior environment artist. That range of roles suggests the layoffs are widespread, affecting all departments. We've asked Reflector Entertainment for more information on the job cuts.

Unknown 9 is set in an alternate history earth, in which you play a "Quaestor" with special abilities, travelling the globe to fight a shadowy secret society. Bandai Namco liked the look of it enough to buy the studio in 2020, and there was enough invested in the world to produce two novels, a scripted podcast, and a comic book. It's unclear from these layoffs whether the fictional world itself is also being retired or if Bandai Namco intend to keep it going.

For the real people affected, this looks like further brutal cost-cutting from Bandai Namco, who have recently been axing jobs in their Japanese studios (via a very unpleasant method if reports by Bloomberg are accurate). Early this year they also cancelled several games due to "higher than expected" development costs.

As for Unknown 9 itself, the game seems to have sold quite poorly, and currently has an average "mixed" rating on Steam. It was arguably under-marketed for a game of its production