By Sagar V. Mankar 
Iron Galaxy Studios, an independent game developer based in Chicago, has announced the layoff of 66 employees across its Chicago, Orlando, and Nashville offices.
The studio shared this decision on LinkedIn, emphasizing that the staff reductions were essential for its “long-term survival.” They acknowledged the significant challenges the game development industry has faced in recent years.
Despite efforts to maintain its teams, Iron Galaxy cited the ongoing slow recovery in the industry as a primary reason for not being able to sustain its current workforce. In the post, the studio stated, “Today, Iron Galaxy is parting ways with some of our developers and support staff. In total, we have reduced our employee base by 66 people. This was a means of last resort for us. It’s a measure we do not take lightly to enable our long-term survival.”
Looking back at Iron Galaxy’s growth trajectory, the studio had ambitious expansion plans in March 2022, when it employed over 250 people and aimed to hire an additional 100 staff members for its third studio location. The company has built a strong reputation in the gaming industry through its collaborations with major franchises. Their portfolio includes significant contributions to popular titles such as Call of Duty, The Last of Us, and Uncharted, alongside co-developing mobile games like Scribblenauts Remix with 5th Cell.
Moving forward, Iron Galaxy plans to continue collaborating with partners on game development and support the industry’s recovery. The studio also intends to explore new ways to contribute while focusing on assisting laid-off team members in transitioning to new roles.
The recent layoffs reflect broader challenges within the gaming industry. For instance, BioWare recently faced layoffs, reducing its staff to fewer than 100 employees after terminating approximately two dozen staffers and reallocating others to different projects within EA.