Supermassive Games, the creator of Until Dawn and the Dark Pictures Anthology horror series, has announced it will reduce its workforce by up to 36 employees in a new round of layoffs.
In a statement posted to the studio’s social media channels today, Supermassive also confirmed a delay to its highly anticipated sci-fi horror title, Directive 8020, which will now launch in the first half of 2026.
Regarding the staff reductions, Supermassive said it needed to restructure its team to better adapt to a challenging and rapidly changing games industry. This follows an earlier wave of layoffs in March 2024, when the studio announced the departure of approximately 90 employees under similar circumstances.
Supermassive had around 350 employees in 2023, meaning roughly a third of its workforce has been cut over the past 18 months.
“We remain committed to our upcoming projects and have decided to shift the release of Directive 8020 to the first half of 2026,” Supermassive said. “The feedback we’ve received so far has been incredible, and this extra time will allow us to deliver the best possible experience for our players. We truly appreciate the patience and support of our community.”
Directive 8020, a standalone entry in the Dark Pictures Anthology, was first hinted at in early 2022 among a list of upcoming titles. It was officially revealed later that year in a trailer at the end of The Dark Pictures: The Devil In Me. Three years later, fans are still awaiting its release.
A statement from Supermassive Games. pic.twitter.com/Vom1CSGYGs
— Supermassive Games (@SuperMGames) July 22, 2025
The Dark Pictures Anthology began in 2019 with the eerie maritime mystery Man of Medan, followed by the historical horror Little Hope in 2020, and the Iraq-set House of Ashes in 2021. The murder hotel-themed The Devil in Me launched in 2022, and the virtual reality spin-off Switchback VR arrived the following year.
Since then, development on new entries in the series has slowed. Directive 8020 is now set to arrive at least three years after the previous title and is being framed as a more self-contained experience. Supermassive says it has used the extended timeline to refine the franchise’s gameplay, though connections to earlier games — including the enigmatic recurring figure known as the Curator — appear to be minimized.
In the meantime, Supermassive will continue development on its delayed title Little Nightmares 3, now scheduled for release on October 10. The studio confirmed that today’s layoffs have no impact on this project.
