Airship Syndicate, the studio behind games like Wayfinder and Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, is reportedly cutting jobs.
Via LinkedIn, three developers posted about “recent layoffs” in the studio, which reportedly took place last week. This includes 3D character artist Gia-Han Lam, 3D environment artist Matéo Chilla, and technical designer William Ernest Santos.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that I’ve been affected by the recent layoffs at Airship Syndicate,” Chilla wrote. “These past two years were so formative, I met amazing artists and people that I will truly miss. Airship will always have a special place in my heart.”
“Unfortunately I was affected by the layoff at Airship Syndicate last week, after an amazing three years here I am looking for new opportunities,” Gia-Han Lam echoed. “I will always be grateful for Airship giving me the chance to get to know and work with some of the most talented and amazing people in the industry, working on Wayfinder with such awesome artists was a dream come true.”
Airship Syndicate’s third round of layoffs since the start of 2024
The reported layoffs would mark the third time Airship has cut jobs since the beginning of 2024. In January of said year, the studio cut 12 positions. Then, in September, 16 employees were laid off in response to “difficult challenges facing our industry,” co-founders Ryan Stefanelli and Joe Madureira said.
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Back then, the co-founders mentioned that 50 people remained on the team, which was “committed” to realizing Wayfinder’s roadmap and “developing future projects.” This came a year after Airship ended its relationship with publisher Digital Extremes, adapting Wayfinder from an MMO to a single-player experience with co-op instead. According to the game’s Steam newsfeed, the latest update took place in January of this year.
Game Developer has contacted Airship Syndicate for clarification on the matter.