Heart Machine, the studio behind Hyper Light Drifter and Hyper Light Breaker, underwent another round of layoffs in October. The developers have yet to release an official statement, but GameDeveloper reports that four employees were let go this week.
Among those affected are Possessor(s) producer Miriam LaChapelle, 3D animator Jordan Campbell, VFX artist Ivan Phu, and senior gameplay manager Justin Bils. Each confirmed the news via posts on the social network Bluesky. LaChapelle will remain on the project until Possessor(s) is finished, while the others left the studio immediately.
Earlier, the studio said it had implemented cuts due to “external factors beyond its control” and retained a “small core team.”
Possessor(s) was announced in June 2024 for PC. The game is a side-scrolling experience set in a metropolis following an “interdimensional catastrophe,” featuring two protagonists who each process events in their own way. The current development status of the project after the latest layoffs remains unclear.
Source: iXBT.games