Starbreeze Studios, the Stockholm-based developer behind the long-running heist franchise, has reportedly begun a new round of layoffs affecting part of its workforce. The studio has not yet released an official corporate filing or public statement about the number of layoffs. However, several affected employees have confirmed their departures on social media and professional networking sites. This news comes after a challenging time for the company as it deals with the consequences of the rocky launch of its main title, Payday 3.
Reports indicate that the layoffs mainly affect developers who worked on the latest entry in the Payday series. Many industry watchers see this internal downsizing as a direct outcome of a project that has struggled since its release in late 2023. Payday 3 was meant to be a crucial component for Starbreeze’s future, but it launched with serious server issues and a perceived lack of content, which alienated a significant portion of its loyal player base.
This is not the first time Starbreeze has faced such difficulties. The company’s history includes both high points and low points, having previously come close to collapse after the failure of Overkill’s The Walking Dead and subsequent financial restructuring. While the studio eventually found stability, the market for live-service shooters is now more crowded and demanding than ever. Despite recent attempts to improve the game through the “Operation Medic Bag” update, aimed at fixing core gameplay issues and addressing community feedback, the player count has remained consistently lower than that of its predecessor, Payday 2.
As developers now look for new jobs, this situation highlights the volatility that currently affects the wider gaming industry. For Starbreeze, the road ahead is getting narrower. The success of their upcoming licensed project based on the Dungeons & Dragons IP is now even more critical as the studio tries to restore trust with both its investors and its community. Whether these layoffs aim to balance the budget or signal deeper problems remains unclear.
