Virtuos, the Codev Giant, Announces Layoffs

Yep, so here’s a bit of news that caught my attention. Virtuos, the big name in co-development, is chopping down its workforce. Not the kind of headline you want with your morning coffee, right? Anyway, this French journalist, Gauthier Andres, dropped the bomb on BlueSky, saying we’re talking about a seven percent cut. Do the math, that’s around 300 folks.

The company chimed in later—confirmed it. So, here’s the deal: 200 people from their Asian team are out the door, plus 70 more across Europe. Oh, and in France? Less than ten. Makes you wonder if “less than ten” means nine or, like, three. Not that it should matter to those affected, I’m sure.

Virtuos says, and get this, they’re doing it to cater to the “changing needs” of their partners. The industry’s a wild beast, you know? They’re trying to keep up, rolling with the punches—or something like that. They went on about co-development, game engineering, art, creative stuff, and live services. Sounds like quite the juggling act.

Meanwhile, they’re promising some help for the folks losing their jobs. Separation pay, new gigs, the whole nine yards—or so they say. Makes you wonder if that’s just standard press release fluff or if they’re genuinely trying to soften the blow.

If you’ve heard of Virtuos, it’s probably because of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered—which, not gonna lie, I got lost in for hours. They’re also crafting Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Add to the list contributions to Dune: Awakening, Cyberpunk 2077, and Sea of Thieves, which are big names out there. Real mixed feelings seeing a company that’s involved in stuff like that having to make cuts.

Oh, and by the way, this isn’t some isolated incident. Microsoft’s been laying people off too, like four rounds in the last 18 months. So, yeah, Virtuos is just the latest domino to fall. Anyway, there we are.