Humble Games Layoffs: 36 Employees Let Go Amidst Uncertainty in the Game Industry

Seattle, Washington United States of America
Despite uncertainty surrounding Humble Games future, ongoing and future projects are unaffected by the restructuring.
Former employees criticized billionaires and CEOs for making record profits at expense of game developers.
Humble Games, an indie game publisher under Humble Bundle and IGN Entertainment umbrella, laid off all 36 of its employees.
Humble Games latest release was B: Path of the Teal Lotus from developer Squid Shock Studios.
Reasons behind the layoffs remain unclear but some former employees expressed concerns about volatility of game industry and treatment of game developers.
The company published nearly 50 games since its inception in 2017 including Unpacking, Void Bastards, Prodeus, Signalis and Slay the Spire.
The news comes at a time when game industry is facing significant challenges due to economic instability and changing market trends. Last year saw numerous layoffs, and this trend has continued into 2024.
Humble Games Layoffs: 36 Employees Let Go Amidst Uncertainty in the Game Industry

In a recent turn of events, Humble Games, an indie game publisher under the Humble Bundle and IGN Entertainment umbrella, has reportedly laid off all 36 of its employees. The news comes as a shock to the gaming community, given that Humble Games had been publishing successful titles since its inception in 2017.

According to various sources, Humble Games published nearly 50 games during this period, including Unpacking, Void Bastards, Prodeus, Signalis, and Slay the Spire. The company's latest release was B: Path of the Teal Lotus from developer Squid Shock Studios.

The reasons behind the layoffs remain unclear. However, some former employees have expressed concerns about the volatility of the game industry and treatment of game developers as money-making machines.

Humble Games' parent company, Ziff Davis, has yet to comment on the matter officially. The publisher's social media channels were active in responding to player queries regarding its latest release shortly before the layoffs were announced.

The news comes at a time when the game industry is facing significant challenges due to economic instability and changing market trends. Last year saw numerous layoffs, and this trend has continued into 2024.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Humble Games' future, it is essential to remember that ongoing and future projects are unaffected by the restructuring. The publisher will continue to support developers it has publishing deals with.

The layoffs have left many in the gaming community questioning what this means for indie game publishing and the industry as a whole. Some former employees have criticized billionaires and CEOs for making record profits at the expense of game developers, while others believe that there is a need to create studios that benefit developers rather than just seeing them as money-making machines.

As we wait for more information on Humble Games' future, it is essential to remember the significant contributions made by its team over the years. Their work has brought numerous critically and commercially successful titles to gamers around the world.


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Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • It's unclear if there were any financial issues that led to the layoffs.
  • It's unknown if Humble Games will continue to operate under a new name or structure.

Sources

80%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Humble Games announce ‘restructuring’, laying off entire publishing team

Rock Paper Shotgun Nic Reuben Wednesday, 24 July 2024 10:48
  • Unique Points
    • Humble Games has laid off its entire publishing team of 36 members.
    • Chris Radley, former creative lead at Humble Games, disputes the restructuring claim and states it's a total shutdown.
  • Accuracy
    • The company is disputed to be shutting down by some former employees, while Humble claims it’s undergoing restructuring.
    • Challenging economic times for indie game publishing is cited as the reason for the restructuring/shutdown.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of Humble Games undergoing a 'restructuring' that resulted in the layoff of all publishing team members. The article does not mention any counterarguments or alternative perspectives. The author also uses emotional manipulation by quoting an anonymous employee who expresses frustration and disappointment about the situation.
    • All 36 employees of Humble Games publishing have reportedly been laid off.
    • As Game Developer point out, this is Humble Games’ second round of layoffs in recent months.
    • Speaking to Aftermath, an unnamed employee called the ‘restructuring’ claims an effort to ‘save face.’
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by quoting an anonymous employee's statement that 'Ziff Davis decided they did not want to be in that business anymore.' This is an overgeneralization and a misrepresentation of the situation. The author also quotes another anonymous employee stating 'With [parent company Ziff Davis’s] stock going down, they simply decided they did not want to be in that business anymore.' This statement implies that the decision was not rational, but there is no evidence provided to support this claim. Additionally, the author uses an appeal to authority by quoting a recording of a morning meeting where Steve Horowitz states 'The company had attempted to sell Humble Games twice before, but neither attempt created significant demand.' This statement does not provide any logical reasoning or evidence for why the decision was made and is therefore an appeal to authority.
    • Ziff Davis decided they did not want to be in that business anymore.
    • With [parent company Ziff Davis’s] stock going down, they simply decided they did not want to be in that business anymore.
    • The company had attempted to sell Humble Games twice before, but neither attempt created significant demand.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

90%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Update: Humble Games confirms layoffs amid 'restructuring', denies full shutdown

Game Developer Justin Carter Wednesday, 24 July 2024 15:28
  • Unique Points
    • Humble Games began publishing in 2017
    • 36-person team was laid off
    • Ongoing and future projects are unaffected
    • Last week, Humble Games published B: Path of the Teal Lotus from developer Squid Shock Studios
  • Accuracy
    • Humble Games is undergoing restructuring
    • Humble Games has laid off its entire publishing team of 36 members.
    • The company is disputed to be shutting down by some former employees, while Humble claims it's undergoing restructuring.
  • Deception (80%)
    The article reports on Humble Games undergoing restructuring and laying off its staff without prior warning. The author quotes several individuals affected by the layoffs expressing their disappointment and criticism of the industry. While there is no outright deception in the article, it does employ selective reporting by focusing on the negative aspects of Humble's decision without mentioning any potential positive reasons for it. This creates a biased perspective that may not fully inform readers.
    • At time of writing, Humble itself has yet to comment on the matter.
    • Last November, Humble laid off an unspecified number of staff from its publishing arm as part of a company restructure. Two years earlier, it had cut jobs in its engineering and customer service departments.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Indie Publisher Humble Games Lays Off All 36 Staff In ‘Restructure’

Forbes Magazine Matt Gardner Tuesday, 23 July 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Humble Games, an indie publisher under Humble Bundle and IGN Entertainment, has laid off all 36 employees.
    • Since its start in 2017, Humble Games published nearly 50 games including Unpacking, Void Bastards, Prodeus, Signalis, and Slay the Spire.
  • Accuracy
    • The restructuring decision was made to ensure the stability and support of ongoing projects and developers.
    • Challenging economic times for indie game publishing is cited as the reason for the restructuring/shutdown.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

86%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Humble Games says it's 'restructuring,' employees say its entire staff has been laid off

PC Gamer Review: Bias, Contradictions, Conflicts of Interest, Deceptiveness & Readability Analysis - Summary by AI Expert in News Analysis for the Date Range Provided on the Site's Articles and About Us Page (2023 Update). Tyler Wilde Tuesday, 23 July 2024 20:50
  • Unique Points
    • Tyler grew up playing games like Zork, Arkanoid, Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer and Bushido Blade.
    • Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011 and is currently focused on the site’s news coverage.
  • Accuracy
    • Humble Games is restructuring and letting go of its entire staff.
    • Humble Games has laid off its entire publishing team of 36 members.
    • The Powell Group will be handling the remaining publishing projects of Humble Games.
  • Deception (50%)
    The article reports that Humble Games is 'restructuring' but does not specify what that means. The author then goes on to quote former employees stating that the entire staff has been laid off and replaced by a third party consultancy. However, the publisher's statement does not mention anything about laying off employees or being replaced by a third party consultancy. This selective reporting creates confusion and potentially misleads readers into believing that Humble Games is still operational with its original staff when in fact it has undergone significant changes. The author also uses emotional manipulation by stating that 'these challenging economic times for indie game publishing' and implying that the decision to restructure was a difficult one, but does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
    • Another employee said that everyone at Humble Games had lost their job.
    • The publisher’s statement says that it is ‘restructuring’ rather than closing, and that it will continue to support developers it has publishing deals with.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Humble Games devs told "company is shutting down"

GamesIndustry.biz Vikki Blake Tuesday, 23 July 2024 19:21
  • Unique Points
    • Former Humble Games employees expressed concerns about the volatility of the game industry and treatment of game developers as money printing machines
  • Accuracy
    • Humble Games is restructuring and letting go of its employees
    • 36 employees were laid off without notice on a certain morning
    • The company's social media channels were responding to queries about the latest release, BD: Path of the Teal Lotus
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author reports on the alleged shutting down of Humble Games based on information from former employees. However, the article includes a statement from Humble Games denying that they are shutting down and confirming ongoing releases. This contradiction between the initial report and subsequent confirmation undermines the credibility of the original claim, which is an example of an unreliable narrator fallacy.
    • ][UPDATE: Humble Games responds and confirms that whilst it is restructuring, it is not shutting down ]][According to former Humble developers, all 36 employees were seemingly laid off without notice this morning and told the company was closing.][
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication