Pendulo Studios is not spared from cutbacks either: 43% of the staff are laid off

Sadly, today we have to give another sad news for video game development in this dark 2024, in which project cancellations and layoffs are the order of the day. This time it's Pendulo Studios, the Spanish developer behind titles such as Blacksad: Under the Skin and the recent Tintin Reporter - The Pharaoh's Cigars.

According to Pendulo, production conditions at the studio, coupled with the lukewarm reception of Tintin and other problems stemming from the relationship with Microids (the French publisher in charge of publishing the aforementioned games) have been the source of a redundancy plan for 33 workers, 43% of the workforce.

According to the CSVI union, this situation has been caused by chaotic decisions made by management, managers who have ignored the future of the productions and the management of their teams, and a complete lack of communication between the two parties. In addition, the negotiation of the conditions for the Tintin and the Pharaoh's Cigars project resulted in an excessive workload that led to crunch and a rushed launch, which significantly affected the quality of the game, and thus its poor sales.

The remaining staff will now have to take on a heavier workload to compensate for the reduction in teams, and so far no negotiating table has been established to redefine either roles or an increase in salaries for the new responsibilities.