Report: Funomena will close by the end of the month
Funomena, the game studio led by Robin Hunicke, is reportedly set to shut down by the end of March.
This report comes from People Make Games reporter Chris Bratt, who broke the allegations about alleged abusive behavior perpetrated by Hunicke at the company and at UC Santa Cruz.
In Bratt's original reporting, multiple current and former Funomena employees described a toxic work environment where Hunicke would allegedly use personal details to criticize or demean employees. Said personal details were also allegedly shared inappropriately with other employees.
In response to the allegations, Hunicke tweeted out a statement several days after People Make Games' video went live. "Leadership is a journey, and often a difficult one," she wrote.
"It saddens me to know people are hurting from mistakes I’ve made. I am truly sorry. Right now I’m taking time to talk to people, focus on the feedback everyone is sharing, and figure out next steps."
Bratt is reporting that contractors for the studio have already been laid off, and that this announcement "has caught many employees by surprise."
This is a developing story. We have reached out to Funomena for comment on this story, and will update it when the company responds.
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