Recent layoffs at BioWare, the studio behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard, have sparked a wider conversation about the state of the gaming industry. Larian Studios' publishing director, Michael Daus, weighed in on social media, arguing for greater employee appreciation and accountability at the leadership level.
Daus contends that widespread layoffs between or after projects are avoidable. He stresses the importance of preserving institutional knowledge for future projects. While acknowledging that cost-cutting is sometimes necessary due to financial pressures, he questions the aggressive efficiency strategies of large corporations, suggesting they are often counterproductive. This approach, he argues, is only sustainable with a consistent stream of successful releases. Layoffs, he emphasizes, are a drastic, last-resort cost-cutting measure.
Daus points out that the root problem lies in the strategic decisions made by upper management, yet the consequences disproportionately affect lower-level employees. He uses the analogy of a pirate ship, where the captain would be the first to be sacrificed, suggesting that game development companies should adopt a similar approach to accountability.
