Steven Hill’s Post

DisturbanceInTheForce: GameLoft (Toronto) GamesIndustryBiz: "Report of mass layoffs at Gameloft Toronto. 49 people were reportedly let go yesterday" "Update: Gameloft has confirmed layoffs to GamesIndustry.biz, with a spokesperson saying it was "necessary" for the studio to "implement a reduction in workforce" due to the current situation of the games market. "As a company, we need to constantly review our production capacities," the statement read. "After careful consideration and in response to the ever-changing market conditions we are facing, it has become necessary to implement a reduction in workforce. "Unfortunately, this leads us to substantially reduce our production activity in our Toronto studio and to let go some employees of the office. This decision has not been taken lightly, and we understand the impact it may have on affected employees. We will be working with them, on a case-by-case basis, to find the best way to handle their situation." Original story: The majority of Gameloft Toronto has reportedly been laid off, GamesIndustry.biz has been told. Only HR, IT, and management are believed to be unaffected by the cuts, which reportedly would see the developer's title, 2016's Disney Magic Kingdoms, transferred to Gameloft's studio in Kharkiv, Ukraine. All staff who had been working on the title in Toronto have reportedly been laid off, representing around 49 people. In addition to our own sources, community manager Tasha Huggins has written a Linkedin post in which she mentions that yesterday was her last day at Gameloft Toronto. "As of today, there is a lot of incredible talent that has just entered the market," she said. "If you are interviewing anyone from the Gameloft Toronto/Disney Magic Kingdoms team, please reach out to me. I would love another opportunity to talk about just how amazing they are." According to our information, the other project Gameloft Toronto was working on has been cancelled following the first round of layoffs at the company back in February. A second round of redundancies reportedly happened in April, during which 40 people were also let go. GamesIndustryBiz: https://lnkd.in/gSbT7anu #gameindustry #gamelayoffs #disturbanceintheforce #gameloft #canada

I was disheartened to learn about the recent layoffs affecting the Gameloft team on February 22, 2024. I have heard of at least 38 cuts across Toronto, Canada and Lviv, Ukraine. In these tough times, the solidarity and support from our community have been a beacon of hope. I am profoundly thankful for this unwavering encouragement. For those from Gameloft seeking guidance or opportunities in the gaming industry, I urge you to check out AMIRSATVAT.COM. This website is a treasure trove of ten essential, freely available resources, updated weekly, to help you move forward in your career. I want to draw special attention to resource number 7: if your team needs extra support, I'm ready to aid by drafting and circulating a support post. I've successfully published 81 such posts to date, each reaching over 100,000 viewers. Resource 7 is straightforward: a team member fills out our template, customizing it with specific details, and sends it to me for final touches and dissemination. To assist our friends affected by these layoffs, you can: - Share this post to enhance its visibility and awareness of the current situation. - Offer personal support to those impacted, whether it’s a sympathetic ear, career advice, or other forms of assistance during this period. - Participate in our community engagement efforts, as outlined in resources 3 to 5 on AMIRSATVAT.COM. By joining our network of over 2,000 volunteers, you'll discover numerous opportunities to contribute. - Take any action you deem helpful to make a positive impact. There's no incorrect approach to offering support. Start where you feel most comfortable, and let's unite to support our colleagues through these challenging times.

Ever wondered what it's like inside Riot Games HQ? Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to visit thanks to Amanda Xaypraseuth, and I was amazed by what I experienced. During my tour, I saw really cool areas, like Bilgewater Brew, Noms, PC Bong, and their stunning outdoor quad. But what left the biggest impression on me was the passionate Rioters still on campus past 5 PM. There were Rioters in meeting rooms adventuring through DnD campaigns. There were Rioters in the PC Bong playing Valorant or League of Legends together. There were Rioters in the console room seemingly conducting a fighting game tournament with Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 7. The amount of passion and love that I could feel for their craft in video games was liberating. When I initially thought about transitioning away from my engineering career, I asked for advice from close friends and family. The common sentiment was work is just a means to an end. Work to live, not live to work! While I completely understand and respect that perspective, I thought to myself, "is that how I really want MY career to be?". I want to wake up and feel passionate about the problems I'm solving. So much so that I still think about how I can improve my craft after work. Visiting Riot and getting a chance to observe what I did only reinforced my belief that turning work into play is the best method for me. Have you had a similar experience that reshaped your career perspective? #gamedesign #games #passionforwork

Every day it feels like we see very talented and extraordinary individuals being affected by the AAA studios, with the mountain of layoffs, it breaks our heart to know that fellow gaming enthusiasts, developers, and just good people all around are experiencing this very real, and very hurtful period. We might be just another studio, but we are also filled with people who want to excel in this industry, do what they love to do, build on that, overcome that mountain top, and create amazing work to say "Hey, I did that!". We want to see people who love working on games being supported 100% of the way through, especially as many of our members would love to have that same support when they leave our studio. And as our dream is to build that community, no matter how small it is right now, we hope that the people who are currently being faced with hard decisions get the necessary break they need, either through that dream job opportunity, starting their own business, or valuing time with friends and family. #gaminglife #gamedevelopment #motivational #PSA #indiegames #layoffssuck #gamestudio

In a week that felt like a rollercoaster for the gaming industry, with over 2,000 layoffs between Riot Games and Activision Blizzard, finding my calm in the chaos has been more crucial than ever. For me, winding down often means getting into a game with friends at the end of the day. There's something about the shared experiences in games that brings a sense of normalcy, even on the toughest days. Yet, we've all been there – when friends are unavailable, the thought of queuing up only to be matched with toxic strangers flaming you for every misclick is less desirable. I knew we were solving problems for our users - but didn't realize how much it would serve a purpose for myself. There's something awesome about jumping into a game and finding yourself in a team that's all about good vibes and teamwork. Just the other day, I was in a Valorant TDM match (Arguably the best format for TDM IMO) with folks from Italy, Greece, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Even though TDM's usually every player for themselves, we clicked and worked together. We were sharing strats, backing each other up, and not a single sour word the whole game. Hands down, one of the nicest sessions I've had with strangers in ages. These moments really highlight what's epic about a positive gaming session – it's got this power to connect us and lift us up, especially when the real world's doing its best to do the opposite. look: it's a me, Mario

It is heartbreaking to find out that Gameloft Cluj-Napoca is getting closed. As an ex-Gamelofter that was also laid off a couple of months ago, I can imagine how hard is for everybody to receive these news. We are talking about humans, living beings, that eat, drink, live in house, have children or pets and for all these things, of course, they need financial stability. Please, if you have any roles in game development available, consider them, as I am sure they are great professionals. Unfortunately I don't think I have any contacts from Gameloft Cluj-Napoca, but feel free to tag them in this post or tell me their names and I will edit the post to include them. For those impacted: I am terribly sorry this happened and I hope you will find your next role soon. Try to stay strong and understand that most likely, this wasn't your fault. It won't be easy, I can't lie, but at some point you will find a role. Try your best to improve your CV and LinkedIn profile in order to have better chances to get a job and don't be shy to contact the recruiter of a role you see advertised. Be extremely aware of scams, as laid off people are most likely to be a target of fake job ads. Try to verify, if possible, if positions really exist on the company's site, try to see if the recruiter is verified or has a history of working with said company and read carefully the messages you receive. Last but not least, in my case Amir Satvat's resources (Sorry for tagging you, Mr. Amir Satvat) helped me a lot and I whole-heartedly recommend them. You can find them here: https://amirsatvat.com/ If there is any way I can help you, do let me know. Maybe I can't do it directly, but we'll try to find a solution together. And don't forget... It's ok to cry and mourn. "A strong person is not the one who doesn't cry. A strong person is the one who cries and sheds tears for a moment and then gets up and fights again." EDIT: Forgot to mention, I still offer free mentorship for anybody that feels the need to unwind or it is curious how was the job seeking for me, when I was laid off. It can be on voice or messages, camera on or off, however you like. Heck, if it helps you maybe we can even play something or make a funny project together. And if let's say, you want to talk to somebody else who maybe is more senior or suits your needs better, keep in mind that you are not alone and there are communities that genuinely want to help you. I give again, because it is the only community I am familiar with, amirsatvat.com for a list of mentors, but rest assured that there are also other communities as well if you want to try somewhere else.

Riot Games has announced layoffs that will affect around 11% of its total staff, or ~530 roles globally. Per an email sent by CEO A. Dylan Jadeja, the company has “some significant investments that aren’t paying off the way [Riot Games] expected them to”. The cuts will affect Riot Forge which is shutting down, as well as reducing the size of its Legends of Runeterra teams, with esports teams being affected too. Riot explicitly stated the layoffs are not happening to “appease shareholders or to hit some quarterly earnings number”, but rather to ensure the future of Riot. In Riot Games fashion, the company laid out its reasoning publicly and also gave out a seemingly comprehensive package for those affected, of which includes: - 6 months minimum severance pay - 100% cash bonus of everyone’s annual performance bonus target - Additional pay to cover health benefits equal to severance length - Equity + buyback options - Career support for 6 months -  Visa support + Riot Email access Obviously this is an unfortunate time for those affected, as well as the overall industry with Riot Games being such a powerhouse in gaming & esports. Riot Games will aim to more tightly integrate esports, music, and entertainment with its games, with the company “putting games at the center of everything” it does. Community reaction to this seems to be mixed, with some upset at CEO Dylan Jadeja for saying “As CEO, I’m accountable for the changes we’re making and where we’re headed in the future” and not taking an individual pay-cut instead. Others are supportive of what Riot is offering for those affected, despite the layoffs. Follow #MoreMark for #Business content in #Gaming, #Esports, and #Creators!

Question for everyone working in the games industry right now. How do you keep motivated in times like these when you hear about layoffs everyday? Especially as a recent graduate, last year felt so bad for trying to break in the industry and it looks like this year will be the same. I know I don’t see myself doing anything else long term than working on games, but how do you keep yourself mentally sound in times like these? #gamedev #gamesindustry #juniorconceptartist #conceptartist #2dartist

I saw the news about Riot Games at 2am my time and was saddened at another 530 individuals joining the huge swathes of developers hit by layoffs. Throughout the layoffs epidemic, many individuals affected may now be networking for the first time, or the first time in a long time. I've spoken a few times at events with the amazing Indie Game Academy giving my personal insights on Networking, but I wanted to create a bit of an easy read help sheet for anyone who is stuck on how to start. It's not as comprehensive as a 90 minute workshop and lecture, but it'll be a good starter for two. Please use it, share it, print it, whatever you want to do, and if it helps in some small way for just one person. The effort of making it was worth it. The tides will turn. I remain optimistic for the collective future of which we will all play a part. We got this, we're all riding the storm together. Questions? Want to practice introducing yourself? Did I miss something at 4am making this? Drop it all in the comments! We can all be helpful! #GamesIndustry #GameDevelopment #ComputerGames #VideoGames #GamesLayoffs

https://lnkd.in/eGabJJdq Following the recent GamesRadar article, please allow me to dive into the chatter about the Immortals of Aveum's failure. First of all, Games fail ALL. THE. TIME, and the 'just make it good' mantra oversimplifies the realities of creative ventures. I'm particularly irked by ex-employees that kind of celebrates failure - ‘we knew it!’– predicting doom is a common but questionable part of game dev culture. Considering the $85M development budget, it seems reasonable given the Bay Area's higher costs. Since most of game development costs are salaries, should we advocate for moving all production to lower-cost regions? EA's Immortals of Aveum gamble made sense, it was aimed at diversifying their portfolio through an external developer, minimizing risk while potentially fostering a long-term partnership with proven talent. This time, it failed. I’ve read that they ‘Should’ve done more focus group!’; I guess people have to promote their services… Finally, I think it’s important to seperate the studio's failure and related layoffs with the broader industry layoffs; this was a specific case of taking a swing and missing, not a reflection of trimming fat or pure greed. While I personally have strong reservations about the creative choices that were made, such as the writing style and the genre the game was in (‘first person magic’ would’ve worked better in an immersive sim IMO), I want to take a second to acknowledge the IMPRESSIVE production value of what was their first game. Not a cent was wasted here. Best wishes to the former employees as they embark on new opportunities – a clearly talented group.