Quantic Dream says it’s ‘unaffected’ by NetEase layoffs and studio closures
“We are continuing to develop our projects at full pace,” says the Detroit: Become Human studio
Quantic Dream has become the second NetEase studio to release a statement this week confirming that it’s not been impacted by recent cuts to the Chinese company’s overseas games business.
It was recently claimed that NetEase plans to divest itself of the majority of its overseas teams, potentially leading to the closure of more than a dozen game studios.
While the tech giant has stated that “all studios and projects are in constant review and evaluation”, it has also denied suggestions that recent cuts to some overseas teams are part of a wider change of strategy, insisting that it “has not wavered in its global expansion plans”.
On Monday, the NetEase studio headed by former Control lead designer Paul Ehreth released a statement confirming it “has not been affected by any studio closures”, adding that it remains “full steam ahead” building its debut game.
A similar statement was released on Tuesday by Guillaume de Fondaumière, the CEO of Detroit: Become Human and Heavy Rain studio Quantic Dream, which NetEase acquired in 2022.
“We were deeply saddened to learn about the recent layoffs and studio closures affecting some of the NetEase group’s divisions. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted, and we sincerely hope that they quickly find new opportunities,” he wrote.
“[President] David Cage and I would like to express our gratitude to the fans and friends who have reached out to us in recent days regarding Quantic Dream. We want to reassure everyone that our studios in Paris and Montreal remain unaffected. We are continuing to develop our projects at full pace, with several open positions available in both locations.”
Last year, the company achieved the highest revenue in its history, driven by the performance of its back-catalogue titles, according to de Fondaumière. Its most recently developed game, 2018’s Detroit: Become Human, hit 11 million sales in 2024 (up two million year-on-year), he said.
Quantic Dream became a publisher in 2019 and is also currently developing Star Wars Eclipse, which was announced in December 2021.
“The developments of our current projects are progressing as planned, and we are fully committed to delivering and launching these innovative, high-quality titles in the future,” de Fondaumière said.
