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Update: In a statement released after this story was first published, Humble Games confirmed reports of layoffs at the company, but did not specify how many employees were affected. Humble Games described the layoffs as part of a "restructuring" rather than a function of total closure, as some employee accounts suggested. Here's the company's statement in full:
"In these challenging economic times for indie game publishing, Humble Games has made the difficult but necessary decision to restructure our operations. This decision was not made lightly; it involved much deliberation and careful thought, with the goal of ensuring the stability and support of our developers and ongoing projects. Additionally, the restructuring of operations at Humble Games will have no impact on operations at Humble Bundle.
"We are acutely aware of the profound impact this decision has on our team members at Humble Games and deeply empathize with everyone affected. Our team's contributions have been world-class and invaluable, supporting the launch of our games since we started publishing in 2017. We are committed to navigating this transition with as much empathy and understanding as possible.
"Supporting our development partners and assisting former team members remains our top priority. We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved. Thank you for your support and compassion during this challenging period. It is deeply appreciated."
In follow-up comments to GamesRadar+, a PR representative, who could not comment on how many people remain at Humble Games, said "operations will continue as normal" and developers won't be affected by this restructuring. I noted that some Humble Games-published developers have already been affected by the news, which seems to have blindsided folks on both sides of production, and was told that "all developers are in the process of being contacted by the Humble Games team." Additionally, "all upcoming games are still moving forward and support will continue for all released games."
Original story:
Humble Games, the publishing subsidiary of Humble Bundle, owned by IGN parent company Ziff Davis, has reportedly been gutted by a wave of layoffs and closed outright.
"The entirety of Humble Games was laid off this morning," senior QA staffer Emilee Kieffer said in a Twitter (X) statement cross-posted from LinkedIn.
"The game industry is volatile," Kieffer's post continues, "it's been inundated by people who only want exponential growth at the expense of making great games with great teams. Billionaires and CEOs are making record profits at the expense of the employees who actually create the products. But I believe we have the power to create studios that benefit us as game developers and not people that only see us as money printing machines."