Ninja Theory, the developer behind Hellblade, has begun layoffs, with multiple developers departing. Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty previously revealed that two agreements involving the studio fell through, but there is currently no information indicating a causal link between these agreements and the layoffs.
After journalist Chris Kerr noticed departure announcements posted by developers on LinkedIn, VGC verified the situation. Those confirmed to have left include gameplay programmer Katrin Mair, technical director Loong-Wei Ding, senior technical artist Matt Le-Fevre, technical artist Justin Pedersen, lead sound designer Daniele Galante, character artist Pietro Berto, sound designer Matteo Tummino, and motion capture technician Xoe Subari.
In her departure message, Mair reflected on her four years at the studio, stating that she learned a great deal and cherished her colleagues' dedication to their work, attention to detail, and to each other. She regretfully mentioned that the team would not be able to complete the content they were working on at the time. This statement does not necessarily prove that the related project has been cancelled; it may simply mean that departing employees will no longer be involved in its completion.
Xbox has not yet commented on the layoffs, and Ninja Theory has not announced that the studio will be closing. It remains unclear how the previously announced third installment in the Hellblade series, Senua, will proceed.