Unity Technologies Layoffs

Credit: Unity Technologies

Unity Technologies has initiated another round of layoffs, marking the company's sixth in recent years. The exact number of affected employees remains undisclosed, but reports indicate that entire departments have been impacted. Notably, the Behavior team, responsible for developing tools to control non-playable characters (NPCs), has been completely disbanded.

Employees were reportedly notified of their termination via emails sent at 5 AM local time, a method described by former Senior Technical Artist Peter Roe as "completely abrupt and impersonal." This approach has drawn criticism for its lack of sensitivity and poor communication.

In an internal memo obtained by 80 Level, CEO Matthew Bromberg outlined the company's rationale for the layoffs, citing significant organizational changes within the CTO, Engine Product, and Ads teams. Bromberg emphasized the need to streamline operations and focus on integrating various teams to enhance Unity's offerings.

This latest round of layoffs follows a series of workforce reductions at Unity over the past two years. In January 2024, the company cut approximately 1,800 jobs, representing 25% of its workforce, and in November 2023, it closed several offices and laid off 265 employees. These actions were part of broader restructuring efforts aimed at stabilizing the company's financial position.

Unity has faced significant challenges recently, including backlash over a controversial Runtime fee introduced in late 2023, which led to developer boycotts and the eventual resignation of CEO John Riccitiello. The company has since revoked the fee and is working to rebuild trust within the developer community.

The impact of these layoffs on Unity's future operations and its relationships with developers remains to be seen. The company has not yet provided further details or commented publicly on the recent layoffs.