Video game developer Telltale Games announced they are laying off the majority of their staff today. The company announced that they will only retain a team of 25. According to The Verge, employees were allegedly laid off with no severance. Telltale Games are the makers of several popular adventure games including "The Walking Dead," "The Wolf Among Us," and "Batman: The Enemy Within." Telltale is also known for the popular game "Curse of Monkey Island."
The company released an official statement today saying they have started a majority studio closure because of insurmountable challenges.
According to the company executives, the remaining employees will stay on to fulfill corporate obligations. Telltale released their final season of "The Walking Dead." Their second episode was scheduled for launch next week. The remaining employees will also be working on finishing the "Minecraft: Story Mode," which is produced by Netflix.
Telltale Games closure comes as they battle on multiple fronts
According to CNET, employees were given nearly 30 minutes to exit the building. Nintendo Life reported that the layoffs come after the developer was accused of overworking employees and former CEO Kevin Bruner suing the company for financial damage.
Telltale Games previously laid off 90 employees.
The popular video game developer was known for pioneering episodic games. In their games, decisions you make in one episode would carry on to the next, most notably in "Walking Dead," "Batman," "Minecraft," and "The Wolf Among Us." The company was even successful in attracting big name brands including "Game of Thrones," "Back to the Future," and "Guardians of the Galaxy." They were currently working on a "Stranger Things," game for Netflix before the sudden layoff.
Ex-Telltale boss Kevin Bruner filed suit
Telltale Games has not given a specific reason for closing their doors. Bruner became CEO in 2015 but later left the company in 2017. Telltale co-founder Dan Connors returned as CEO when Bruner left.
Connors ended up naming Pete Hawley as CEO. Hawley was a former Zynga executive.
Bruner's lawsuit alleges that Telltale Games and its board illegally ousted him when they did not have the proper amount of votes necessary to do so. Bruner's suit also claims that the company did not give him enough information when he was planning to sell his shares.
Bruner also issued a statement saying he was saddened by the sudden loss of jobs and closure of the revolutionary gaming studio. Under Bruner's leadership, they received Game of the Year and Studio of the Year at the Spike Video Game Awards.