A new website has been created to keep track of rampant layoffs happening now in the video game industry. Learn more about this new website, and what it could do for the industry.
videogamelayoffs.com Tracks Gaming Industry Layoffs
Laying Out the Layoffs
Regardless of what kind of game you like, 2023 has been a great year for video game releases, with huge hits releasing almost every month. However, this facade of a booming industry makes it easy to forget that it’s ironically not all fun and games behind the scenes. This year, multiple studios and publishers have laid off an estimated 6,100 employees to cut back on costs. Layoffs are an unfortunate reality, and staying informed about them can be crucial for professionals in the video game industry. Even to consumers, this kind of information can be extremely interesting.
In response to this demand, a new website has launched to keep everyone updated about these changes, aptly named videogamelayoffs.com. Released on September 18 and continuously updated as of this writing, this website lists down all crucial information for the most recent layoffs.
videogamelayoffs.com's Reporting and Reliability
While there is a website dedicated to general tech related layoffs, videogamelayoffs.com is specifically tailored for the games industry and aims to provide detailed information and tracking information. It tracks crucial information for each layoff, like estimate/count for affected employees, date of layoff, parent company, and more importantly, public sources of information.
According to the website, listings are typically posted only when there is a clear source available, either 3rd or directly (from former employees on LinkedIn and Twitter.) That source is posted if publicly available, which means that each update should be independently verifiable by those concerned.
However, videolayoffs.com creator @dekaf on Twitter (X) claims that the page should not be considered as a singular source of truth. Furthermore, the website does not report on tech-related layoffs, eSports orgs, and media website layoffs.
videogamelayoffs.com's Initiative
“I started tracking layoff data as it's something I've taken note off since my first layoff in 2010,” tweeted @dekaf. While the website seems to only be tracking data as its sole purpose, there is a section dedicated to those impacted by unexpected layoffs.
For video game job seekers, the website offers a collated job listing document, a Linkedin resource page, and contact information of the website creator if you need more information. With a looming dip in the video game industry and unions rising up to negotiate with studios and producers, information hubs like these might be a game changer.
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