BioShock Remastered studio lays off 10% of workforce after project cancellation

The studio behind HD remasters of BioShock and Borderlands has laid off a tenth of its entire team.

California-based Blind Squirrel Games attributed the layoffs to the "unexpected cancellation of an unannounced project", GamaSutra reports.

A total of 13 staff members were affected, which the studio stresses is "less than 10% of our workforce."

"The studio continues to work on multiple projects," reads a Blind Squirrel statement. "Our hearts go out to those who were laid off, and while we are working with our partners to find them new homes, we are grateful for any additional help others in the industry may provide."

Word of the layoffs appears to have first emerged from former community manager Josh Mikkelsen, who reported "massive layoffs... due to money" via Twitter.

Mikkelsen started the hashtag #BlindSquirrelJobs in an effort to help his fellow ex-staffers find new employments, with several studios using this initiative to put forward their own vacancies.

Interestingly, Blind Squirrel itself is still in the process of hiring for several lead positions across various development disciplines. Presumably the staff dismissed were in different, non-development disciplines like Mikkelsen, but GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Blind Squirrel for comment.

UPDATE: Blind Squirrel has responded to our queries, with COO Matthew Fawcett clarifying that the layoffs included nine artists and four support. Conversely, the open positions being advertised on the website are for engineering and senior art positions.

"The staff we had to part with unfortunately had skillsets different from our current needs," Fawcett tells us. "Once again, we would like to stress that we are working with our partners to find them new homes and we are grateful for any additional help others in the industry may provide."

Companies that are hiring can reach out to our Blind Squirrel's HR Manager Frank Occhiato at focchiato@blindsquirrelgames.com.