Eidos-montréal axes 124 jobs, head of studio exits amidst project shifts
A wave of restructuring has hit Eidos-Montréal, the studio behind acclaimed titles like Deus Ex and Tomb Raider, with the announcement of 124 layoffs and the departure of Head of Studio David Anfossi after nearly two decades. The Embracer Group subsidiary delivered the news via a terse social media post, signaling a period of significant change within the French developer.
A sudden departure and shifting priorities
Anfossi’s exit, following 19 years with the company and a decade as Head of Studio, is particularly noteworthy. He oversaw the development of major franchises including Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and the somewhat divisive Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The reason for his departure remains shrouded in mystery, a detail that further complicates the narrative surrounding these cuts. Embracer's statement offered a bland “We thank David for his contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” a phrase that does little to illuminate the circumstances.
The studio attributes the layoffs to “changing project needs,” a familiar refrain in an industry grappling with shifting market dynamics and increasingly demanding player expectations. But the timing is undeniably troubling. Just earlier this year, Eidos-Montréal reportedly shed 75 employees, and Bloomberg reported the cancellation of a new Deus Ex title in early 2024. The cumulative effect of these reductions raises serious questions about the long-term health and stability of the studio, and its future role within Embracer’s portfolio.
Industry-wide turbulence and a bleak trend
Eidos-Montréal’s woes are not isolated. March 2026 saw a brutal series of layoffs impacting major studios including Battlefield Studios, Crystal Dynamics, Ubisoft, and even Epic Games, the powerhouse behind Fortnite. Sony's shuttering of first-party partner Dark Outlaw Games just last week further underscores the pervasive financial pressures reshaping the gaming landscape. February also witnessed reductions at Skate developer Full Circle. The sheer scale of these concurrent cuts—hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs lost across the industry—points to a deeper reckoning within the sector, fueled by over-investment during the pandemic boom and a subsequent correction as player spending patterns normalize.
The numbers speak volumes: a significant portion of Eidos-Montréal’s workforce has vanished in just over a year, leaving the precise size of the remaining team unknown. While Embracer attempts to portray this as a strategic realignment, the repeated cuts and the unexplained departure of a long-standing executive paint a picture of a studio struggling to navigate a turbulent market. The industry’s narrative of growth and innovation has been abruptly replaced by a stark reality of downsizing and uncertainty.