Airship Syndicate has announced the layoff of 16 employees, including 12 full-time staff members and four contractors. The Austin, Texas-based game development studio cited the challenging landscape of the gaming industry as the primary reason for the decision. “In light of the difficult challenges facing our industry, we’ve had to make the tough decision to let go of some incredibly talented Airship team members,” the CEO and president said on LinkedIn.
Despite the layoffs, the studio remains committed to delivering the Wayfinder roadmap and developing future projects. Airship Syndicate, which was founded in 2014, gained full control of the publishing rights for their title Wayfinder last November. This move followed the exit of their former publisher.
The latest announcement adds to a growing number of layoffs across the gaming industry, which now totals approximately 12,700 jobs lost in 2024 alone. Three months after reintroducing Wayfinder, Airship Syndicate has announced additional layoffs, involving 16 employees, but remains committed to continuing future development of the game. After launching in August 2023, Wayfinder faced significant challenges, leading to a restructuring in early 2024.
Airship layoffs amid industry challenges
During this period, CEO Joe Madureira and president Ryan Stefanelli took pay cuts to support the studio financially. The restructuring and financial difficulties prompted a major overhaul of the game, transforming it from a free-to-play online game to a paid single-player game with three-player co-op, which was released in June.
However, the game has struggled to attract a stable player base, with concurrent player peaks falling short of expectations. The layoffs included 12 full-time employees and four contractors. Despite the setbacks, Madureira and Stefanelli are determined to continue supporting the game and their remaining team of 50 employees.
They expressed deep gratitude towards their current and former employees for their dedication and hard work. The upcoming launch of Wayfinder, set to exit early access on October 21, is hoped to improve its prospects. While cross-save and cross-progression won’t be supported, the game will allow players on different platforms to join lobbies and play together.
“Our team will remain dedicated to delivering the Wayfinder roadmap and developing future projects,” they wrote. Despite the challenging times, Airship Syndicate’s leadership remains optimistic about the future of Wayfinder and their ongoing projects.
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