Refactor Games, the studio behind Netflix’s official FIFA World Cup game, has reportedly laid off the vast majority, if not all, of its staff.
Latest update
GamesBeat reports that 85% off staff have been laid off from Refactor, according to its founder Nathan Burba.
The California-based studio, which is part-owned by publisher Delphi Interactive and based in Delphi’s Los Angeles headquarters, developed FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, which was released on June 11.
The game is exclusive to Netflix‘s streaming platform, meaning players with a Netflix subscription can stream the game to their TV and use their phones as controllers.
Following its release, the game was critically panned and accused of being rushed so it was ready in time for the opening game of the actual FIFA World Cup.
Now, as reported by Game Developer, numerous Refactor developers have been taking to LinkedIn, saying they’ve been laid off along with the rest of the team.
“Well, it looks like I’m back on the market looking for a job again,” the game’s art director Barclay Chantel wrote on the platform.
“Delphi just pulled the plug on Refactor studios right after we shipped the FIFA World Cup game for Netflix. The entire studio was let go today so if anyone is looking for talent I can put you in contact with some pretty awesome folks.”
Product designer and UI artist Victor Del Castillo claimed funding for the studio had been pulled after the game was released, leading to the studio’s closure.
“Refactor Games dev team was the best team I’ve ever worked with by far as a UI Artist,” he wrote. “Amazingly talented and kind people, which is a rare combo to find. After shipping the FIFA World Cup Launch Edition for Netflix Games, the studio’s parent company unfortunately pulled funding, and the entire team, myself included, was laid off.”
Netflix previously said its World Cup game would “evolve over time”
Artist Joseph Civitate posted: “Our entire studio just got laid off at Refactor Games after releasing FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition on Netflix. Many talented hard working people including myself across all departments were let go a couple months after our game shipped, due to the funding on our next project being cancelled.”
In early June, a week before the release of FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, Netflix stated in a press release that “the Launch Edition represents our ‘Kickoff’” and said it would “evolve over time”. It’s now unclear whether this plan to have the game continually improve has been scrapped.
VGC’s one-star FIFA World Cup review called the game “a woefully undercooked companion to the world’s biggest tournament”, but sympathised with its development team, acknowledging that the game was likely created extremely quickly to meet its deadline.
“It’s hard not to feel some sympathy for the developers involved in a game that was only announced six months ago, and had to essentially be rushed from scratch for a non-negotiable mid-June release,” we wrote.
