Certain Affinity, Halo: Infinite Co-Developer, Says It's Struggling to Find New Work, Announces Layoffs
Halo and Call of Duty co-developer Certain Affinity has been hit with a wave of layoffs, CEO Max Hoberman announced.
The studio head wrote about the decision in a lengthy post on the developer’s website, saying that the layoffs affect 25 US-based staff members and “has the most impact on the teams running our business operations.” The Certain Affinity website says the company currently has more than 250 full-time employees, meaning today’s move affects somewhere around 10% of its staff.
The decision marks the first time Certain Affinity has laid off team members since it was established in 2006.
“There are multiple factors underlying this decision to do a layoff for the first time in our 17+ year history,” Hoberman wrote. “Most significant is an industry-wide slow down in the funding of new lead and co-development projects and the reluctance of third party investors to fund games or game companies. This has made it exceptionally difficult to sign new work or secure other forms of funding.”
Hoberman says Certain Affinity is supporting those affected with severance pay and benefits continuation. The company is also making their vested awards under its Stock Equity Plan portable “so they may benefit from the company’s success in the future.”
“We have built an amazing culture where we all come together to support one another in times of need,” he added. “We ask for your understanding and patience while we navigate this unprecedented event. Thank you.”
Most significant is an industry-wide slow down in the funding of new lead and co-development projects and the reluctance of third party investors to fund games or game companies
Certain Affinity has helped shape a number of notable titles through the last 17 years. This includes helping with the development for the Halo and Call of Duty franchises as well as other projects like Prey (2017), Gotham Knights, Doom (2016), Left 4 Dead, Hogwarts Legacy, and more. For example, the team’s work on the base version of Call of Duty: Black Ops saw them creating five multiplayer maps along with various multiplayer features. Certain Affinity also helped with Halo 4 and is responsible creating features and content for its Forge mode alongside various multiplayer game modes.
Certain Affinity is only the latest developer to be affected by the layoffs plaguing the industry. Other developers recently affected include Supermassive Games (Until Dawn) and Cloud Imperium Games (Star Citizen). Sega’s Creative Assembly (Total War) and Hardlight (Sonic Dream Team) studios were both subjected to layoffs in the last day, too, with company’s like Nintendo also announcing that they are undergoing restructuring in some departments.
For more on the job losses sweeping the industry, be sure to take a look took at the human impact of the last year of layoffs. You should also read up on what some developers think of the layoffs and why we’re seeing them happen now.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
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