Immortals of Aveum hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC just weeks ago. We had a great time with it, giving it an 8 out of 10 in our review. Today, developer Ascendant Studios laid off nearly 45 percent of its staff.
Ascendant founder and CEO Brett Robbins released a statement Twitter Today, explains the big reduction in staff. He says it was a painfully difficult decision but a necessary one following the release of Immortals of Avium on August 22. Here is Robbins’ full statement:
“Today, we are heartbroken as we part ways with friends and colleagues at Ascendant Studios – about 45% of our team. This was a painfully difficult, but necessary decision, not made lightly; however, we must now make this adjustment. Immortals of Aveum has shipped. Comprehensive separation packages and We’re supporting those affected in every way we can, including job placement assistance, as well as support services for survivors. If your studio is looking for proven UE5 artists and engineers, please reach out and let us know so we can introduce you to some incredibly talented game devs.
“I’m very proud of what our independent development team has accomplished with Immortals of Aveme. Together we’ve created a new AAA studio, a new IP on new technology, which is extremely rare in our industry era. We’re proud of our passion for Immortals while wearing our hearts on our sleeves. The studio will continue to work that way as we support the development of this game and continue with future updates and offerings of our Immortals IP.
“To my team reading this message, especially those who are leaving us, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your invaluable contributions to Ascended Culture and your tremendous influence in bringing Immortals of Awem to life. We wish you success in the next chapter. Your career. Please stay in touch.”
hearts Game Informer Staff are with everyone affected by these layoffs and still at the studio.
These layoffs follow the August 22 release of Immortals of Aveum, a game we thoroughly enjoyed. Ahead of its launch, we teamed up with Immortals of Aveum at Ascendant Studios and spoke with the team about creating a new first-person shooter. Unreal Engine 5.