Moonshot Games Hit Hard! Layoffs Rock Wildgate Developer - What's Next?!

Ouch. It's never good news when you hear about Layoffs, especially in the gaming industry, which feels particularly volatile these days. Moonshot Games, the studio behind the sci-fi shooter *Wildgate*, has confirmed that they've had to let go of an unspecified number of employees. This comes despite a boost the game received earlier this year when it launched on the Epic Games Store.

Moonshot Games Hit Hard! Layoffs Rock Wildgate Dev...

According to Dreamhaven, Moonshot's parent company and the publisher of *Wildgate*, the post-Epic Games Store surge, while appreciated, just wasn't enough to keep the full development team afloat. I remember when *Wildgate* first dropped; there was a lot of hype, especially with the Dreamhaven connection. Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime being involved definitely lent it some credibility. But hype only carries you so far, right?

A Dreamhaven spokesperson told *Game Developer* that this was a "difficult decision" made to "ensure we can continue delivering updates to the game while working in a way that supports the studio in the long term." Essentially, they're slimming down to survive, a move that, while understandable from a business perspective, is always heartbreaking for those affected.

The silver lining, if you can call it that, is that Dreamhaven says they remain committed to *Wildgate* and are planning a content update "later this quarter." This update apparently includes some much-requested quality-of-life improvements, including a new progression system. Whether that will be enough to revitalize the game and justify the Layoffs remains to be seen.

This isn't the first time Dreamhaven has had to make cuts. Last September, they confirmed layoffs that primarily hit their publishing team. Morhaime acknowledged at the time that the company was facing "similar challenges" to others in the industry. It's a tough climate out there, with rising development costs and increasingly discerning gamers.

Dreamhaven also owns Secret Door, another development studio, and their published portfolio includes *Mechabellum*, *Lynked: Banner of the Spark*, *Sunderfolk*, and, of course, *Wildgate*. Morhaime reiterated that Dreamhaven's mission remains "bringing players together through positive and meaningful experiences" and that they are committed to supporting their existing games. Let's hope they can stick to that commitment, not just for the players, but for the remaining employees at Moonshot and Secret Door who are undoubtedly feeling the pressure right now.