Unity has implemented another round of layoffs, with reports from employees suggesting the team behind the visual tool Behavior has been cut, along with designers and artists. In an email to staff, CRO Matthew Bromberg said the “important organisational changes” mainly impacted “the CTO, Engine Product, and Ads teams” and were “a response to choices [Unity was] making about what direction Unity will take in the future.” The number of people affected is currently unclear. Bromberg stated, “People whose roles are being eliminated or those entering an employment consultation period will be notified over the course of the next couple of days, with instructions on next steps.
We expect all notifications to be completed by EOD on Feb 12.”
Town Hall meetings detailing Unity’s future are planned in Montreal, Tel Aviv, Copenhagen, Seoul, Tokyo, and San Francisco, with the first happening on February 12 in Montreal. Due to Unity’s global workforce across multiple time zones, impacted staff were notified at the same time, resulting in some West coast employees receiving layoff notices at 5 am.
Unity restructuring impacts multiple teams
Senior technical artist Peter Row shared on social media, “I was impacted by layoffs at Unity today, along with many talented and hardworking colleagues. While this news is tough, I’m incredibly grateful for the nearly three years I spent at the company – working alongside brilliant artists and engineers, getting opportunities to further develop my graphics programming and Houdini skills, and forming meaningful friendships that extend beyond work.”
Row also criticized Unity’s communication of the layoffs, saying, “That being said, I want to call out the way Unity chose to communicate these layoffs. Receiving a 5 am email from ‘noreply@unity’ informing me that my role was being ‘eliminated’ and that I’d lose system access by the end of the day, felt completely abrupt and impersonal.
Unity must do better in how they treat their workers in hard times like this.”
In January 2024, Unity announced major cutbacks, resulting in 1,800 job losses. This latest round of layoffs compounds the ongoing challenges the company faces amidst strategic changes and market pressures. Unity has been contacted for comment on the situation.
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
