Ascendant Studios lays off half its staff less than a month after Immortals of Aveum launched

Poor sales have led to about 45% of the team being laid off

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Ascendant Studios has laid off nearly half of its staff less than a month after the launch ofImmortals of Aveumdue to poor sales.

The studio’s CEO Bret Robbins announced the layoffs onTwitteron September 14, saying that the Ascendant is “heartbroken” to part with “about 45% of its team,” but that it’s a “necessary decision.”

“This was a painfully difficult, but necessary decision that was not made lightly – nevertheless, we have to make this adjustment now that Immortals of Aveum has shipped,” Robbins said. “We are supporting those affected in every way we can, including comprehensive severance packages and job placement assistance, as well as support services for those who remain.

“If your studio is looking for proven UE5 artists and engineers, please reach out and let us know so we can introduce you to some incredibly talented game devs.”

Immortals of Aveumlaunched onPS5,Xbox Series X|S, and PC on August 22 and currently has a score of 70 onMetacritic, however, the magical FPS game seems to have not been able to reach satisfactory sales during its first month, leading to the layoffs.

“I am so proud of what our independent development team has accomplished withImmortals of Aveum,” the CEO continued. “Together we’ve created a new AAA studio, a new IP, on new technology, during an era of our industry when that is exceedingly rare.

“We’ve poured our passion intoImmortals, while wearing our hearts on our sleeves. The studio will continue to work that way as we support the development of this game and our Immortals IP moving forward with future updates and offers.”

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Robbins finished his statement by thanking the team for their “invaluable contributions to Ascendant’s culture” and their “tremendous impact on bringingImmortals of Aveumto life.”

We gaveImmortals of Aveuma 3 out of 5 stars in ourreview, describing it as “a fun arcade shooter that is less than the sum of its parts. The stunning world and unique concept aren’t quite charming enough to make up for the game’s sluggish pace and disjointed combat.”

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