Summary
Polish game developerPeople Can Flyhas confirmed the cancelation of two projects and announced plans to substantially scale down its teams. The Warsaw-based studio cited communication breakdowns with publishers and financial pressures as the cause of the decision, markingPeople Can Fly’ssecond round of layoffs in just under six months.
While People Can Fly is behind well-regarded shooters likeBulletstormandOutridersand is working on various projects behind the scenes, the studio has been struggling with a series of setbacks in recent memory. Back in April 2024, People Can Fly canceledProject Dagger- a co-op action RPG in development for several years - after the studio failed to find a new publishing partner following its split from Take-Two Interactive in 2022. Then,over 120 People Can Fly staffers were let goin December 2024, alongsideProject Victoriabeing suspended andProject Bifrostdownsized.
It appears the December job cuts did little to ease People Can Fly’s financial woes, as CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski announced more layoffs and downsizing for the studio in a recent Twitter post. As per Wojciechowski,People Can Fly has shelvedProject Geminidue to the publisher’s failure to provide a new content rider agreement and general lack of communication about the game’s future, making it economically unfeasible to continue development. Wojciechowski did not explicitly name the publisheroverseeingProject Gemini, but reports suggest that it was Square Enix.
Outriders Developer People Can Fly Sees Scaled-Down Headcount After Two Project Cancelations
In addition toProject Gemini, People Can Fly’sProject Bifrostwon’t see the light of day either. Supposedly aVR game,Project Bifrostwas canceled after an internal analysis of People Can Fly’s financials revealed an inability to secure the necessary funding and resources to keep its development going. Wojciechowski emphasized in his note that these cancelations necessitate a major regrouping at People Can Fly, which unfortunately includes headcount reductions - a precise number for which was not specified. The CEO expressed deep regret over the situation, thanking those affected for their contributions.
Layoffs are always disheartening to learn about, even more so in recent months due to companies like Microsoft, Playtonic, EA, Eidos Montreal, and more axing thousands of jobs cumulatively. People Can Fly’s string of project cancelations is a worrying trend for the studio, but there are some things to look forward to. As it stands,People Can Fly is co-developingGears of War: E-Daywith Microsoft-owned studio The Coalition, and also teamed up with Sony a few months ago to work onProject Delta- a new game based on an undisclosed PlayStation IP.
