Double Fine Productions has announced that it has laid off 23 members of staff.
In a statement, studio head and founder Tim Schafer said that the decision to cut staff was not taken lightly, with sustainability cited as one of the key factors.
“Today, Double Fine Productions let go of 23 members of our staff,” Schafer said.
“As a small, tightly-knit team, these actions are not taken lightly. Only the survival of our studio would ever make us consider such a painful action. Our transition to becoming an independent company also means becoming a size that we can sustain.
“The people we are losing were all important. They all made an impact on our games and culture, and they will be missed. We are committed to supporting each affected person as best as we can, and we thank them for their hard work and commitment to the creative spirit we cherish here at Double Fine.”
Earlier this month, it was announced that Double Fine would return to being an independent developer, having been acquired by Microsoft in 2019. The news came after Xbox announced massive cuts to its operations, which saw the company also part ways with Arkane Studios, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory and Undead Labs.