Heart Machine Layoffs: Another Sweet Baby Inc. Studio Faces Workforce Cuts Before the Holidays
Hot on the heels of Reflector Entertainment’s massive layoffs, another studio backed by Sweet Baby Inc. is now laying off a large portion of their staff. Heart Machine, the developer behind Hyper Light Drifter and the upcoming Hyper Light Breaker, has announced a round of layoffs, leaving an undisclosed number of employees without jobs just before the holiday season... and what I found out about the background of this company is going to blow your mind!
The story initially broke via GameDeveloper - and it highlights a ...troubling trend within Sweet Baby Inc.’s portfolio of associated studios. Prepare to (not be) shocked...
NOTE: There's an interesting interview with Heart Machine and Kim Belair discussing their work together on this project for those wanting to deep dive this even further.
Heart Machine's Response to Layoffs
Heart Machine confirmed to GameDeveloper that a “portion” of its workforce has been let go, although the specific departments and number of affected employees remain unclear. Based on my brief search on LinkedIn, it seems like a good amount of folks. I already found a handful in just a few minutes of looking.
The studio preemptively attempted to mitigate any of the backlash by announcing that all impacted employees would receive severance packages, healthcare coverage for several months, and credit in future projects. Additionally, the studio pledged to honor revenue-sharing agreements for the laid-off staff... Assuming there is any.
While these measures offer some relief to the impacted employees, the timing of the layoffs—mere weeks before the holidays—leaves a bitter taste, especially in an industry already completely filled with instability from touching the Sweet Baby Inc scent...
Community and PR manager Yiyi Zhang (shown complaining about the game industry above) addressed concerns about the studio’s upcoming release, Hyper Light Breaker, stating that the layoffs will not impede the game's early access launch. Zhang added:
“In fact, a strong and timely launch will rekindle opportunities for those affected as we look to evolve and grow the game throughout Early Access.”
However, I gotta be honest... her "reassurance" here feels pretty hollow in light of the studio’s decision to dismiss employees rather than try to find ways to retain staff until after the game’s launch, which is expected at some point in 2025.
The Sweet Baby Inc. Connection
This development comes at a particularly critical time, as Reflector Entertainment, another Sweet Baby Inc.-affiliated studio, recently went through massive layoffs, leaving its workforce reeling. Reflector Entertainment, best known for their MASSIVE flop that was Unknown 9: Awakening, reportedly struggled with extreme management inefficiencies and a very toxic work culture, ultimately culminating in Bandai Namco’s acquisition and subsequent cuts to the workforce. Shocker, I know.
The common thread with all this crap? Sweet Baby Inc.’s involvement. While Sweet Baby Inc. positions itself as a champion of diversity and inclusion in gaming, their track record of backing underperforming studios and fostering instability is... really, anything but.
Heart Machine’s layoffs are yet another blow to the company’s image, especially considering Sweet Baby Inc.’s emphasis on creating those "equitable" workplaces. The industry's left questioning whether these values are even truly upheld behind the scenes in the first place, or if they are just a façade masking serious mismanagement and poor long-term planning.
What’s Next for Heart Machine?
Despite the layoffs, Heart Machine insists that its two main projects, Hyper Light Breaker and Possessor(s), will not be affected. Hyper Light Breaker—an open-world, online roguelite with procedurally generated worlds—is expected to enter early access in 2025, while the status of Possessor(s) remains stable but unknown specifics for now.
Still, with these layoffs affecting a “portion” of its workforce, it’s hard not to wonder how this impacts the quality and delivery of their upcoming titles. The statement that “a strong and timely launch” could “rekindle opportunities” for affected employees raises more concerns.
A Grim Trend in Gaming
This isn’t an isolated incident - not even close - it's part of a larger pattern that we've seen happing lately in the gaming industry, where layoffs are becoming increasingly common, often at the worst possible times for employees. While severance and healthcare are commendable, they don’t come close to replacing job stability or the morale-crushing impact of being let go before the holidays.
With Reflector Entertainment and now Heart Machine facing significant turmoil, it’s worth questioning whether Sweet Baby Inc. is capable of supporting its associated studios—or if its involvement is more of a curse than a blessing. Based on my initial research of these employees that were let go, the entire environment of the workplace strikes me as EXTREMELY toxically woke, with many blue-haired, Blue-Sky, anti Twitter ideologists festered.
That being the case, is anyone really all that surprised? It almost feels like a chicken-or-the-egg situation of what the problem is. Is it Sweet Baby Inc.'s fault, or the insane amount of woke employees these corporations continue to hire thinking that it will somehow work out?
For Heart Machine, the true test will come in 2025 when Hyper Light Breaker launches. based on the trajectory, it's almost as if... They see the writing on the wall for that games inevitable failure. For now, the industry watches as another group of woke developers face an uncertain future, left wondering if Sweet Baby Inc.’s vision for gaming includes stability for those who create it.
~Smash
Credit to GameDeveloper for breaking this story.
Clearly these brainwashed freaks can't seem to grasp the facts that these so called little companies made by Sweet baby Stink ain't gonna work at all because their Ideologies are Absolutely Garbage and everyone out there that is & has woken up to this trash has rejected there Shit and these Losers need to accept that fact and should maybe take a long look at themselves in a mirror and question wether it's worth keeping up there Charade
Not to sound harsh but if they hire these so called activists that push their beliefs into these games they bring it upon themselves and I don't feel sorry for them. At some point they have to look at them selves in the mirror and ask them selves if this is the right way