Eidos-Montréal Announces Layoffs and Studio Head Departure

Eidos-Montréal, the developer of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, has announced a workforce reduction impacting 124 employees. Concurrently, David Anfossi, the studio head, has departed from the Embracer-owned company.

Workforce Reduction and Leadership Change

Eidos-Montréal stated on LinkedIn that the decision was due to "changing project needs and impacts across production and support teams." The studio expressed gratitude to the affected team members, noting that the decision was not a reflection of their talent or dedication.

The studio confirmed the layoffs were due to "changing project needs and impacts across production and support teams."

Regarding Anfossi's departure, the developer thanked him for his contributions and confirmed a transition plan is underway for new leadership. Anfossi had been with the studio for 19 years, beginning as a producer in 2007.

Studio Context

This represents the second round of layoffs at Eidos-Montréal in recent months, following previous cuts implemented in December.

Reports from employees indicated that most projects had been cancelled during the earlier reductions. Other recent workforce adjustments included 75 employee layoffs in March and 97 positions made redundant in January 2024.

The studio's current focus is reportedly on co-development efforts for projects such as Microsoft's Grounded 2 and Fable. The last title developed and released by Eidos-Montréal was Guardians of the Galaxy in 2021.

Parent Company Background

Eidos-Montréal was acquired by the Embracer Group in 2022, alongside Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix Montréal, for $300 million.
A year later, Embracer Group began a restructuring program after a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group did not materialize. This program led to thousands of layoffs, project cancellations, and the closure of multiple studios within the group.