A FunPlus Subsidiary Studio Faces Uncertainty with Significant Restructuring
A subsidiary studio of FunPlus, Imagendary Studios, has recently undergone significant restructuring, leaving only a “skeleton crew” behind. This development has raised concerns about the future of the studio.
Ex-Employees
Despite previous plans to develop an action-adventure game, Imagendary Studios has not yet announced its first title. The studio aimed to provide “AAA cross-platform experiences to gamers worldwide.” However, according to GamesIndustry.biz, recent company reviews and layoffs have caused many employees to leave, including key team members such as the head of studio, design director, audio director, and principal effects artist.
Former Imagendary artist David Luong shared his thoughts on LinkedIn, expressing concerns about the challenging nature of the industry, the influence of AI, and the ever-growing tech and gaming “zeitgeist”. Luong stated, “This dream is done, Imagendary Studios has deeply restructured, and most of us were laid off. I remained on as one of the last skeleton crew members to tidy some things up. We got to develop things that were never done before or documented, and I hope we can release some of that work in the future.”
The impact of AI on the gaming industry has been undeniable, with developers like Homa and Roblox embracing its potential. Homa recently hosted an AI hackathon, while Roblox is just beginning to explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence. Similar sentiments have been expressed by Scriptic’s Nihal Tharoor, who sees AI as an additional creative tool rather than a replacement.