Telltale Games Reduces Workforce, Insists Layoffs Won’t Affect Projects

Video games company Telltale Games has let go of 25 percent of its workforce. Still, the San Rafael, California-headquartered publisher maintains that the layoffs won’t affect any of its previously announced projects.

According to Telltale, the move to lay off 90 employees is part of its restructuring, which is expected to pave the way for the better. In doing so, the company believes that it will become “more competitive” in delivering “groundbreaking story-driven gaming experiences with an emphasis on high quality in the years ahead.”

Representatives assured GameIndustry.biz that the restructuring, most especially the layoffs, won’t have any impact on any of Telltale Games’ previously announced projects. The company is currently working on “Minecraft: Story Mode – Season Two,” “Batman: The Enemy Within” and the upcoming “The Walking Dead Collection,” which is scheduled for release early December. Telltale has just finished Episode 5 of its “Guardians of the Galaxy – The Telltale Series.”

Telltale also has upcoming projects that are due for release next year. There’s the fourth and final entry in “The Walking Dead” series. It is also releasing “The Wolf Among Us Season 2” in 2018. The company says it still has unannounced projects that are coming later in 2018, and it also has a couple more games premiering in the distant future, such as “Game of Thrones: Season 2.”

“Our industry has shifted in tremendous ways over the past few years. The realities of the environment we face moving forward demand we evolve, as well, reorienting our organization with a focus on delivering fewer, better games with a smaller team,” CEO Pete Hawley said in a statement.

Hawley gave credit to the laid off staff for their contributions to the company. He also revealed that they are providing assistance to the affected employees as they depart the publisher.

“I'd like to express our respect for all the contributions that these incredibly talented artists, storytellers and more have made to this company, and that this decision is in no way a reflection on the quality or dedication of their work,” Hawley said. “We have made available our full career assistance services to help our affected colleagues and friends — and their families — navigate this difficult transition as quickly as possible.”

Ironically, Telltale appears to be hiring at present. On the Jobs section of its official website, the company says it is “looking for some new team members.” Open positions listed on the page include: AP Clerk (part-time), Animation Department Tech, Character Modeler, Environment Modeling Tech, Animation Engineer, Build Engineer, Senior Systems Engineer, and many more.

Meanwhile, Polygon has learned that Telltale is also planning to move its internal development to “more proven technologies that will fast-track innovation in its core products.” However, the company did not indicate which technology it will be pursuing. It is worth noting though that many of Telltale’s products have received criticism for their technical performance.

Telltale Games was founded in 2004. RollingStone says the publisher was able to establish a name for itself by making episodic, narratively-driven video games. Its “The Walking Dead” series is said to be the project that made the company popular among gamers.