According to reporting by Bloomberg, Embracer Group is laying off 97 of the staff at Eidos Montreal and has canceled an unannounced title in the Deus Ex series. This is part of an ongoing series of job losses as Embracer contracts after a period of rapid expansion.
The Embracer Group acquired Eidos Montreal as part of a deal with Square Enix in 2022, which saw the latter company divest from its North American studios. This deal also included Square Enix Montreal and Crystal Dynamics, as well as a selection of properties related to those studios, including games like Thief, Tomb Raider, and Deus Ex.
Many have been anticipating a new game in the celebrated Deus Ex series since the release of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided back in 2016. Following the lukewarm reception to that game, Square Enix put the series on ice. The Embracer purchase brought some hope to having the series revived once again, but with this cancellation, it seems unlikely.
According to Bloomberg’s sources, Eidos Montreal had been working on the new entry of Deus Ex for two years, and it was “slated to enter production later this year.” The company will now “instead focus on an original franchise.”
A release by Eidos Montreal confirms the layoffs and clarifies that 97 positions were eliminated, it’s a continuation of job losses related to Embracer Group. The losses have included the closure of Timesplitters developer Free Radical and Saints Row’s Volition.
It can be difficult to keep up with the volume of cuts made by Embracer, as it seems that a new round happens on a near-weekly basis. Embracer group is hardly the only company cutting staff, however, as massive job losses have been happening across the industry, with Microsoft laying off 1,900 staff members just a few days ago.
We’re not even out of January yet, and the industry has seen nearly 6000 people lose their jobs. It’s shaping up to be another rough year.
