According to reports, Scopely, the publisher owned by Savvy Games Group, had to lay off several staff members on Friday. The news came to light through posts on LinkedIn, with industry analyst and careers expert Amir Satvat sharing that 38 employees were let go, “mostly at the Kingdom Maker studio.”
Kingdom Maker is a medieval fantasy combat game which was released on iOS and Android in 2022. Developed by Global Worldwide in partnership with Scopely, it joined the company’s trio of mobile titles, including Star Trek: Fleet Command and Marvel Strike Force. This successful portfolio attracted Savvy Games Group’s acquisition of Scopely in April 2023.
Following the acquisition, Scopely has enjoyed significant success with Monopoly GO! taking the spotlight alongside the popular Stumble Guys, while updates to Kingdom Maker and other older Scopely titles have become less frequent.
Job Losses
Satvat mentioned the job cuts at Scopely, as well as at Daybreak Studios, with approximately 70 jobs lost. He later corrected his post here. It’s clear from comments on Satvat’s post that members of the Kingdom Maker team have been affected, but exact details and numbers have not been disclosed.
“Kingdom Maker casualty reporting here. Thanks for the visibility. I actually didn’t know how many of us were let go before this,” said animator and tech artist Stefan Scrogan, who is currently seeking new opportunities.
Ellie Martin, a character designer and illustrator, also confirmed her job loss, as did designer, illustrator, and maker Savannah Ervin. Both are now in similar positions. As of now, there has been no official confirmation on the number of job losses and whether they are isolated to the Kingdom Maker team. We have reached out to Scopely for further details.
Satvat is encouraging game developers affected by the recent downturns to visit his resources as he aims to connect the industry and assist staff in finding new employment.
