Gamepires layoffs announced after Splash Damage buyout
Gamepires has cut staff after its purchase by Splash Damage, but SCUM development will continue.
24 Oct 2026 0 reads Compiled with AI
#Gamepires #Splash Damage Group #SCUM
Gamepires, the studio behind the survival game SCUM, announced that it had laid off an undisclosed number of employees on 14 October 2026. The company said the cuts were a “difficult decision” made to adapt to challenging market conditions and long‑term sustainability, and it added that development of SCUM would continue. The announcement was posted on X, and the studio asked fans to give departing colleagues space as they processed the news.
Background of layoffs
The layoffs come eight months after Splash Damage Group, backed by Emona Capital, bought Gamepires in early 2026. The acquisition followed a series of changes that began with private‑equity investors buying Splash Damage, after which the London studio carried out major layoffs two months later. When Gamepires was acquired, the group said it was just under 150 people and intended to grow the group with Emona’s support. Splash Damage confirmed the redundancies and said SCUM would keep receiving updates from the remaining team.
SCUM hit its 1.0 release on Steam in June 2025 and has since received regular hotfixes and content updates. Despite the staff cuts, Splash Damage said the live game would keep running and the remaining developers would support new content. The announcement came from the studio’s own X account, which urged supporters to respect the departing team.
The exact number of staff let go has not been revealed. Both Gamepires and Splash Damage said the decision was necessary to adapt to challenging market conditions and long‑term sustainability.