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Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun studio announces major layoffs, then quickly deletes the announcement
Auroch Digital, the studio behind Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, says it is restructuring and has begun redundancy consultations that could affect around a quarter of its staff. The announcement cites difficult market conditions, despite the studio’s recent creative successes.
The initial statement was posted on 26 October and deleted within hours; it was reposted two days later, with no explanation for the deletion. At least two employees have also reported receiving redundancy notifications. The cuts come as Auroch has games including Boltgun 2 and Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! among its recent releases, and Warhammer Survivors due on 10 November; the studio was acquired by Roundtable Interactive less than a year ago.
In short
- Auroch Digital is consulting on redundancies affecting around a quarter of staff.
- The studio says difficult market conditions prompted a restructuring.
- Its original announcement was deleted, then reposted two days later.
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The case for
Auroch may need to reduce costs to keep the studio financially viable amid difficult market conditions, even when it has successful games or projects in development. Consulting staff before final decisions can give the company a chance to assess options while responding to uncertainty in the games market.
The case against
Cutting around a quarter of the workforce risks losing experienced staff and disrupting projects, particularly when the studio has recent releases and another game due soon. The unexplained deletion and reposting of the announcement may also make it harder for employees to understand the process and trust how the restructuring is being handled.
Explained simply
Auroch Digital is a British video game studio best known for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, a fast-paced shooter set in the Warhammer 40,000 science-fiction universe. The studio has also worked on other games based on established franchises, as well as original projects.
Auroch is part of Roundtable Interactive, which acquired the studio less than a year ago. Its reported plans for redundancies come amid work on several games, including titles linked to Warhammer 40,000 and Starship Troopers.
The story matters to Auroch’s staff and to players following the studio’s games, because job cuts could affect the people making them and the studio’s future work. Redundancy consultations are discussions with employees before an employer makes final decisions about proposed job losses.