Dune: Awakening developers begin layoffs at Metal: Hellsinger team

The developers behind the shooter Metal: Hellsinger are being let go and their studio, The Outsiders, will be closed. Founder David Goldfarb announced the unfortunate consequences of a restructuring initiated by Funcom.

In early October, Funcom — the studio behind Dune: Awakening — confirmed it had launched a restructuring process. The company did not initially name individuals affected, but it later emerged that staff from The Outsiders, a studio that had operated for ten years, were included in the layoffs.

David Goldfarb described the studio’s winding down in an emotional post on Bluesky:

“I had little time to absorb the news, but everyone at The Outsiders and at Funcom Stockholm felt the effects of the cuts. Our ten-year-old studio will be closed.”

He also reflected on earlier challenges when the studio once faced closure.

“Many of us went through the period when Darkborn was cancelled, yet through the team’s commitment and refusal to give up, Metal: Hellsinger came to life. That moment will always mean a great deal to me, and I’m grateful for the chance to build that game and to have worked with such a team.”

Goldfarb added that the team had envisioned creating “something better” than the shooter, but said that is no longer feasible within Funcom. He expressed hope to continue the work in a “new format” and asked anyone who can to offer support in any way. “Change is always difficult, and we’re all hurting right now,” the founder concluded.

Since joining Funcom as its Swedish branch in June 2021, The Outsiders had employed roughly 50 people and released only Metal: Hellsinger — a title holding about 95% positive reviews on Steam from over 16,000 user ratings.

Source: iXBT.games