System Era Softworks cuts 30+ staff after StarSeeker early access underperforms
Key takeaways
- More than 30 employees laid off
- Layoff announcement made on the 23rd
- StarSeeker entered early access in June
- System Era founded 2014; acquired by Devolver in 2023
System Era Softworks said it has laid off more than 30 employees, announcing the reductions on the 23rd via the studio’s official channels. The cuts affect multiple disciplines — artists, designers, engineers, producers, writers, and QA — and the company said severance pay and outplacement support will be provided.
Company marketing director Jo Tirado explained the context in a Reddit comment, saying StarSeeker: Astroneer Expeditions’ early access launch in June did not meet expectations despite substantial investment. StarSeeker uses the Astroneer setting for a multiplayer-focused cooperative exploration game; the title drew hundreds of thousands of players in early access but received mixed feedback tied to changes in core gameplay and its multiplayer emphasis.
System Era said it will shrink the StarSeeker development group to better match the current player base while continuing work toward a full release. At the same time, the studio plans to move some previously outsourced work back in-house and reassign certain staff to the original Astroneer team, increasing headcount on the flagship project. The studio added it will publish a more detailed development roadmap soon and has begun internal discussions about development plans beyond 2027.
Why it matters
Founded in 2014 and acquired by Devolver Digital in 2023, System Era noted that the original Astroneer remains successfully operational, but keeping the extra hires brought on for StarSeeker was no longer financially viable. The concrete takeaway: StarSeeker will continue development with a smaller team while Astroneer’s core development capacity grows as the studio reabsorbs roles and internalizes external work, and a roadmap with timing details is promised in the near term.
Original source
Google News: Inven Korea
