People Can Fly Cancels Development of Two Projects Amid Staffing Reductions
Studio Revisions Following Publisher Disputes
Warsaw, Poland – People Can Fly, the renowned game development studio acclaimed for titles like Bulletstorm and Outriders, has announced the cancellation of two significant projects, leading to an impending round of layoffs within the company. In a statement posted to LinkedIn by CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski, the studio revealed the difficult decision to halt the development of projects Gemini and Bifrost.
“We made the very difficult decision to suspend the development of Project Gemini and Project Bifrost,” commented Wojciechowski. “As a result, we will significantly reorganize our studio and scale down our teams.”
Both Project Gemini and Project Bifrost have remained largely under wraps, with little information previously disclosed to the public. This week’s announcement, however, marks a pivotal shift for the studio, which has been facing challenges with several in-development titles for an extended period.
Financial Challenges and Publisher Issues
In December, People Can Fly publicly indicated issues with a project codenamed Victoria, which was also suspended, alongside a reduction in the team working on Bifrost. Wojciechowski’s latest remarks attributed the cancellations to unresolved issues with a publisher, specifically mentioning delays in obtaining critical publishing agreements and inadequate communication regarding the publisher’s commitments to continue with development.
The financial stability of the publisher was highlighted as a contributing factor to the cancellation. Wojciechowski stated there was a "lack of prospects for securing organizational resources and funds necessary to continue the production."
While the identity of the publisher was not explicitly confirmed in the recent announcement, it has been inferred that Square Enix, which was associated with Project Gemini as earlier disclosed by the studio, is the key party involved in these discontinuations.
Continued Commitment to Gears of War Franchise
Despite these setbacks, People Can Fly remains engaged in the gaming industry, actively collaborating as a partner studio with The Coalition on the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day. This project aligns with the studio’s legacy and will play a crucial role in maintaining its presence in the competitive gaming market.
As People Can Fly navigates this transformation, the studio’s ability to adapt and regroup will be pivotal in safeguarding its future projects and workforce. The gaming community and industry stakeholders continue to closely monitor the studio’s progress in light of these significant changes.
