Humble Games Restructures, Lays Off Entire Publishing Team
Humble Games, known for publishing indie hits like Signalis and Slay The Spire, has made a significant change. Today, the company announced a major change that resulted in the layoff of its entire publishing team. This is down to Humble Games Restructures. This shocking news comes amid challenging economic conditions for indie game publishers.
Immediate Impact of the Layoffs
Staff Informed of Shutdown
According to business developer Nicola Kwan, all 36 employees were informed at 9 am this morning. They were told that "the company is shutting down." Humble Games disputes this claim. In a statement to Game Developer, the company said it is "undergoing restructuring," not a complete shutdown.
Responses and Reactions
Former creative lead Chris Radley publicly disputed the company's framing. "This is NOT a restructuring of operations. This is a total shutdown of Humble Games," he wrote. Radley emphasized that operations have been handed off to a third-party consultancy with no staff left.
Official Statements and Clarifications
Humble's Official Statement
Humble’s official statement attributes the decision to “challenging economic times for indie game publishing.” They stated, “Humble Games has made the difficult but necessary decision to restructure our operations.”
Contradictory Reports
An unnamed employee told Aftermath that the restructuring claims are an effort to “save face.” Former employees also revealed that Humble Games had not signed any projects for 2026 or 2027. One anonymous employee said, "Their decision was not rational and will hurt indie development in the long run."
Attempted Sales and Future of Projects
Failed Sale Attempts
In a recorded meeting, Ziff Davis' technology and shopping division president Steve Horowitz said that the company had attempted to sell Humble Games twice before. Both attempts failed to create significant demand or viable offers. The remaining publishing projects are being handed over to the Powell Group, a third-party consulting firm.
Impact on Indie Development
Senior QA Emilee Kieffer expressed frustration, stating, “The game industry is volatile. Billionaires and CEOs are making record profits at the expense of employees who create the products.” She emphasized the need for studios that benefit game developers, not just profit-driven executives.
Conclusion
This is Humble Games' second round of layoffs in recent months, following the firing of several members of the publishing staff last November. The restructuring and layoffs mark a tumultuous period for the company and its employees. With all the recent staff cuts within the industry in 2024 including Ubisoft, Playstation, and Take-Two, it raises concerns about the future of indie game development.