Telltale Games, known for developing popular narrative-driven games such as The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us, has confirmed layoffs in a statement on its Instagram page. The company cites current market conditions as the reason behind the difficult decision. Despite the layoffs, Telltale Games reassures fans that all projects currently in development are still in production.
The news of layoffs at Telltale Games may come as a surprise to some given the company’s recent resurrection. In 2018, the company faced financial troubles and had to shut down, leaving many employees without jobs. However, it made a comeback a year later under new ownership, with many of its former developers returning to work on exciting projects like The Wolf Among Us 2 and The Expanse.
Unfortunately, Jonah Huang, one of the team’s cinematic artists, recently revealed that he and several other employees were let go by Telltale last month. Huang took to social media to share his experience, acknowledging that it is a sensitive topic but feeling it necessary to add to the gaming layoff news. He mentions other industry-related layoffs, such as the recent Epic Games layoffs, in his post.
Huang also states that he is unable to share any news about The Wolf Among Us 2 due to a signed non-disclosure agreement (NDA). He explains that he signed an agreement not to cause harm to Telltale’s business as part of his severance package. However, he asserts that his intention in sharing what happened is not to cause harm or ruin the company.
The artist expresses his initial excitement to work on The Wolf Among Us 2, as it was a project he had always wanted to be part of. He describes the development team as small but passionate. Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Huang acknowledges that Telltale gave him a good deal this time around.
It is unclear exactly how many employees were affected by the layoffs at Telltale Games. Huang’s statement can be interpreted to suggest that most, if not all, of the team working on The Wolf Among Us 2 may have been let go. The news of Telltale’s layoffs is just one among many occurring in the gaming industry, including those at CD Projekt Red and Riot Games.
Fans of Telltale Games will be eagerly awaiting further developments and updates on the future of The Wolf Among Us 2 and other projects. It is a challenging time for the company and the industry as a whole, but the commitment to storytelling and finding new ways to do so remains unchanged.