The recent news of all 36 employees at Humble Games publishing being laid off has sent shockwaves through the gaming industry. Business developer Nicola Kwan informed the staff at 9am that morning, stating that the company is shutting down. However, Humble disputes this claim, stating that they are undergoing restructuring rather than a full shutdown. This conflicting information has raised questions about the true nature of the events.
Chris Radley, the former creative lead at Humble, has publicly disputed the claims made by the company. He insists that this is not a restructuring of operations but a total shutdown of HumbleGames, with operations being handed off to a third-party consultancy. Additionally, an unnamed employee referred to the claims of restructuring as an effort to “save face.” This internal conflict and contradictory statements have added to the confusion surrounding the situation.
The alleged reason behind the layoffs has been attributed to challenging economic times for indie game publishing according to Humble’s statement. However, former employees have revealed that Humble Games had not signed any projects for 2026 or 2027. This lack of upcoming projects, combined with parent company Ziff Davis’s declining stock, led to the decision to exit the gaming publishing business. The decision has been described as irrational and potentially harmful to indie development in the long run.
This is not the first time Humble Games has faced layoffs, as last November saw an unspecified number of staff from its publishing arm being let go. Senior QA Emilee Kieffer expressed the volatility of the game industry, highlighting the pressure for exponential growth at the expense of creating great games with talented teams. The continuous layoffs and instability within the company reflect broader issues within the gaming industry as a whole.
The situation at Humble Games publishing is a sad reflection of the challenges faced by employees in the gaming industry. The conflicting statements, lack of transparency, and financial struggles have created a bleak outlook for the future of the company. The impact of these layoffs extends beyond just the employees affected, as it raises questions about the sustainability of indie game publishing and the treatment of workers in the industry.
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