Studio Axes 18 More Employees, Signals End of New Development
OtherSide Entertainment has laid off 18 more employees from its Thick as Thieves team, drastically reducing its workforce to fewer than ten individuals. This latest round of job cuts follows an earlier reduction of 17 staff members in late May, bringing the total number of impacted employees to 35 within a short span. The studio has explicitly stated that its current structure is "no longer a commercially viable path," effectively ceasing new game development.
The studio confirmed that the remaining personnel will focus solely on "performance maintenance" for the recently released title, Thick as Thieves. A spokesperson made it clear that "currently no plans for the studio to work on any future games" are in place. This marks a significant contraction for the developer, which previously boasted nearly 50 employees.
'Argos' Project Canceled, Industry Woes Cited
The recent layoffs and studio downsizing are directly linked to the cancellation of a previously in-development project codenamed 'Argos'. OtherSide Entertainment cited the "brutally challenging" nature of the current video game industry as the reason for Argos's unviability. This decision appears to be part of a broader industry trend where publishers are exhibiting increased risk aversion towards unproven multiplayer concepts, particularly those attempting to merge complex immersive sim mechanics with live-service demands.
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The Thick as Thieves game, described as a co-op immersive sim, saw its introductory campaign receive an "encouraging response" following its release on May 20, 2026. However, player numbers on platforms like Steam have reportedly dwindled since its launch peak, averaging just over 100 concurrent players. This contrasts with the ambitious initial vision for Thick as Thieves, which was reportedly scaled back from a larger competitive multiplayer experience to a smaller, more focused $5 title emphasizing single-player and co-op play.
A Retrospective on a Struggling Studio
The repeated layoffs at OtherSide Entertainment paint a picture of a studio grappling with economic realities and genre-specific development hurdles. The studio's output has been limited, with Thick as Thieves being its sole release to date. In 2020, the company experienced another round of layoffs following Tencent's acquisition of its 'System Shock' IP.
The challenges in developing immersive sim titles, especially those incorporating multiplayer elements, have been highlighted. Such games require not only the intricate design and AI complexity of single-player experiences but also robust netcode, anti-cheat systems, and continuous content updates to maintain a player base. These demands, coupled with a historically niche but dedicated audience and a market increasingly wary of multiplayer risks, have proven difficult to navigate. The industry as a whole has seen significant workforce reductions, with over 10,000 game industry workers globally reportedly laid off in the past year.
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