Telltale Games is a studio known for creating games with gripping narratives. The studio has produced titles like The Wolf Among Us, Batman: The Telltale Series and The Walking Dead. Indubitably, the company has delivered games and experiences that stay with the gamer long after the game’s epilogue.
Recently, video game companies have been announcing layoffs due to financial constraints. Sadly, among the vast multitude of companies that have announced layoffs are Ascendant Studios, Crystal Dynamics, Blizzard, Epic Games, and Naughty Dog.
Telltale Games is the most recent addition to the list, however, this isn’t the company’s first announcement of layoffs.
Telltale Games And a Former Employee’s Tweets on the Matter
Former Telltale Games employee, Jonah Huang took to X and shared his experience, while revealing that he and his former employees were let go in September. Huang explained:
This is a sore subject, but I feel it necessary to add to the gaming layoff news: Telltale laid most of us off early September. Status of TWAU2, I can't say (NDA).
Now, I focus on what matters to me—my own game, and the following words:
Games industry, we must UNIONIZE.
1/5
— jjonahjonahson (@jjonahjonahson) October 5, 2023
The former employee made not just a single tweet but a series of tweets on the matter. You can read the entire thread here.
Following this, Telltale Games released a statement confirming the alleged layoff news. Taking to X, Telltale Games tweeted:
— Telltale (@telltalegames) October 5, 2023
Layoffs like the one mentioned above affect not just the studio and its employees, but also the ongoing projects. Despite the confirmation that all of the projects in development will be continued as such, fans are eager to get further updates from Telltale Games on their upcoming titles.
Telltale Games’ History with Closure and Layoffs
As mentioned earlier, Telltales Game is a studio with a firm grasp on developing excellent titles. The surge in companies that have had to announce layoffs is relatively recent. Telltale Games, however, had another majority closure dating back to 2018.
March 27, 2018, was the day when Batman: The Enemy Within Episode 5 launched. The game received critical acclaim and generally favourable user reviews as well.
A few months later came a shocking announcement from Telltale Games when a majority closure was announced.
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Telltale Incorporated CEO, Pete Hawley, announced that Telltale was undergoing a “majority studio closure“. A staggering 90% of the workforce (225 to 250 employees) was laid off at that time.
A small, condensed core team of 25 was remaining to focus on the commitments which were to be kept by the company.
The statement released by Hawley to arsTechnical was as follows :
“It’s been an incredibly difficult year for Telltale as we worked to set the company on a new course. Unfortunately, we ran out of time trying to get there.
We released some of our best content this year and received a tremendous amount of positive feedback, but ultimately, that did not translate to sales.
With a heavy heart, we watch our friends leave today to spread our brand of storytelling across the games industry.”
The Aftermath of the Majority Closure and Relaunch Under LCG Entertainment
Just when it seemed Telltale Games had gone and would never return, things took a positive turn when negotiations began with LCG Entertainment in February 2019. The major assets were acquired By LCG Entertainment, and the company was relaunched while retaining its trade name.
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That is what led to Telltale Games’ revival in 2019. Previously cancelled titles like The Wolf Among Us 2 (based on Fables) were confirmed to be back in development by the company. The Expanse: A Telltale Series was then released in July 2023, and The Wolf Among Us 2 was pushed to 2024.
Despite the speed bumps encountered by Telltale Games on its way, the Telltale formula made a return and is all set for a new release in 2024.
Did you play The Expanse: A Telltale Series and are you are looking forward to playing The Wolf Among Us 2? Make sure to leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Source: Twitter/X
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