Company Of Heroes Dev Relic Suffers Layoffs After Going Independent From Sega

Relic Entertainment has announced a round of layoffs shortly after gaining its independence from Sega. The exact number of employees impacted is seemingly 41.

Relic Entertainment took to LinkedIn to make a statement. "Letting people go was not an easy decision, and was made solely with the goal of providing Relic the best possible chance to survive in an increasingly volatile industry," the studio said. "It does not in any way reflect the expertise, passion, or character of any of the impacted employees." The studio is also helping those who are laid off with severance packages, extended benefits, and outplacement support options.

According to external development producer Robyn Smale, 41 employees were affected by Relic's layoffs. At this time, Relic is still working on Company of Heroes 3 and its 1.6 update, which is due later this month.

In March, Sega parted ways with Relic Entertainment while also cutting 240 roles across its European divisions including Creative Assembly and Sega Hardlight. Sega purchased Relic Entertainment back in 2013 for $26.6 million. Relic isn't the only studio that recently gained independence. Toys for Bob split from Activision Blizzard back in February.

Mass layoffs in the video games industry were rampant in 2023 and have continued through this year. In just the first two months of 2024, at least 8,100 people were laid off. In comparison, 2023 saw an estimated 11,250 let go. Even big players such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo were impacted.