Ascendant Studios has laid off nearly half of its staff less than a month after the launch of Immortals of Aveum due to poor sales.
The studio's CEO Bret Robbins announced the layoffs on Twitter on September 14, saying that the Ascendant is "heartbroken" to part with "about 45% of its team," but that it's a "necessary decision."
"This was a painfully difficult, but necessary decision that was not made lightly – nevertheless, we have to make this adjustment now that Immortals of Aveum has shipped," Robbins said. "We are supporting those affected in every way we can, including comprehensive severance packages and job placement assistance, as well as support services for those who remain.
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Immortals of Aveum launched on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on August 22 and currently has a score of 70 on Metacritic, however, the magical FPS game seems to have not been able to reach satisfactory sales during its first month, leading to the layoffs.
"I am so proud of what our independent development team has accomplished with Immortals of Aveum," the CEO continued. "Together we’ve created a new AAA studio, a new IP, on new technology, during an era of our industry when that is exceedingly rare.
"We’ve poured our passion into Immortals, while wearing our hearts on our sleeves. The studio will continue to work that way as we support the development of this game and our Immortals IP moving forward with future updates and offers."
Robbins finished his statement by thanking the team for their "invaluable contributions to Ascendant’s culture" and their "tremendous impact on bringing Immortals of Aveum to life."
We gave Immortals of Aveum a 3 out of 5 stars in our review, describing it as "a fun arcade shooter that is less than the sum of its parts. The stunning world and unique concept aren’t quite charming enough to make up for the game’s sluggish pace and disjointed combat."
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