Immortals of Aveum Studio Cuts Nearly Half of Its Staff Just Weeks After Game Release

 Ascendant Studios Attributes Layoffs to Disappointing Sales Performance

Immortals of Aveum Studio Cuts Nearly Half of Its Staff Just Weeks After Game Release

Ascendant Studios, the creator of “Immortals of Aveum,” has recently undertaken significant staff reductions, with nearly half of its workforce reportedly affected, according to information provided by three individuals with ties to the studio. Prior to this round of layoffs, Ascendant Studios was believed to employ between 80 to 100 personnel, and approximately 40 employees found themselves impacted by the decision. The announcement regarding these layoffs was delivered by Ascendant's CEO, Bret Robbins, during a meeting held on a Thursday.

It has been disclosed by an ex-employee that the poor sales performance of "Immortals of Aveum" was the driving factor behind these layoffs, which were deemed essential to sustain the studio's operations. "Immortals of Aveum" was initially launched on August 22, featuring availability on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series as a groundbreaking AAA single-player magic-infused shooter developed by an independent studio. However, upon its release, the game received a mixed reception from critics, who claimed it rehashed familiar triple-A gaming tropes.

SteamDB reported that "Immortals of Aveum" had a peak of just under 800 players on Steam shortly after its launch. Yet, within one month, the game's player base dwindled to a mere 74 players over a 24-hour period, potentially influenced by the game's demanding technical specifications. According to The Verge, less than 9% of PCs meet the requirements to run the game.

These numbers do not paint a promising financial outlook for a high-budget first-person shooter. One former employee opined that "Immortals of Aveum" may rank as one of Electronic Arts' lowest-selling Originals. Furthermore, there have been reports of additional layoffs occurring in the weeks following the game's release.

[Update]: Following the release of this article, Ascendant CEO Bret Robbins posted an update on the layoffs.