WB Montréal lays off 99 people

Ok, this might seem like high praise coming from me, but I thought the Game Awards were pretty decent in comparison to other years. Even going so far as to have a section calling out someone who helps those who were affected by last year’s mass redundancies. I would have liked it, just a little bit Geoff, if there was something about the freshly announced layoffs at Warner Games Montréal. First reported by Stephanie Dupuis of Radio-Canada (a French-language publication), the 99 jobs being cut come at a time when it was announced Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad would be sunset after season 4. The same title WB Montréal did additional work on.

If you would prefer a source in English, Game Developer first reported on Radio-Canada’s reporting, but it is worth noting that for some reason an editor left in “French outlet Radio-Canada.” So yes, I’d take a grain of salt with you on that one. Nonetheless, the 99 jobs being cut by WB Games Montréal are reportedly QA-centric subcontractor layoffs, with those laid off being offered to be put on a register to be recalled to work, which reportedly will be in 2026. Or the QA subcontractors can meet with a counselor to help find a new job.

I know I’m supposed to be serious and not emotional about this because it is news, but this sucks. I don’t care if they are “just QA people,” being laid off with eight weeks notice before the New Year just simply sucks. Reporting on the fact people are seen as expendable resources in the machine that is game development, it pure and simply sucks. An anonymous source who was part of the dismissed employees told Radio-Canada, “I feel stressed and depressed. I have the impression that the company has just ruined 99 lives.”

Days before people are set to spend time with their families and at least pretend to be happy, they now have to worry about sending out résumés. Another anonymous source said, “I am thinking of all the families who are affected by this announcement, and who are preparing to celebrate Christmas.”

It isn’t surprising to see these layoffs after it was announced Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was no longer set to be supported by the end of January 2025. However, it is no less enjoyable to be reporting on job losses in December when I’m already exhausted by this industry’s nonsense. I don’t know really what to say, anyone outside of the C-suite of Warner Bros could have told you forcing Rocksteady to make a live-service game with the blandest possible world was a bad idea. Everyone knew the result, but as we keep seeing, warnings don’t matter as long as they make someone some profit.