Disappointment turns to anger after Telltale layoffs

While what remains of the studio looks for funding, a chorus of voices asks that we pay attention to the human cost

The game industry is still reeling from the layoffs at Telltale Games late last week. While fans are bemoaning the potential loss of their favorite characters and the stories left untold, others are focusing on the human cost and demanding answers.

Speaking with anonymous sources inside Telltale, our sister site The Verge paints a harrowing picture. On Sept. 21, approximately 250 employees were let go all at once, The Verge reported. Sources say they were given roughly 30 minutes to leave the building. There was no offer of severance; they were simply terminated. It’s a stark contrast to the smaller batch of layoffs that occurred at the studio in November of last year, when employees were paid out the remainder of their salaries for the year and invited to a planned job fair.

Late Monday night came a spark of hope for fans. In a statement on Twitter, Telltale announced that it was courting multiple partners to help produce the final two episodes of its long-running series, The Walking Dead. It would bring to a close the story of Clementine, a character that fans have guided through a dangerous world since 2012.

But Telltale’s late-night statement on Twitter was brief, to say the least: “Multiple partners have stepped forward to express interest in helping to see [The Walking Dead:] The Final Season through to completion.”

It said nothing about the 250 employees who were let go, nor did it indicate who would actually do the work to finish Clem’s tale.

While many fans rushed to praise the effort and wish the remaining skeleton crew of 25 left at the studio well, others weren’t having any of it. Many on social media and in the comments sections of articles, like those here at Polygon, tried to remind those same fans of the 250 lives that were impacted by the layoffs.

Cory Barlog, known for his work on the God of War series, was among them.

“I would hope this means that you will first pay your entire team their severance,” he said on Twitter, “and then proceed to finish the final episodes. I would be fine waiting however long it took to ensure we first treated those who worked so hard with the humanity and respect they deserve.”

Job Stauffer, formerly a member of the team at Telltale, joined in as well.

“Our friends and families health and well-being comes FIRST,” Stauffer wrote on Twitter. “Developers need to be paid, not abused. [Telltale CEO Pete Hawley] gambled, and the team lost.”

Emily Grace Buck, who was among those let go last week, has been especially vocal.

“We aren’t replaceable,” said the former narrative designer, who worked on Telltale’s Batman, in a lengthy thread on Twitter. “None of the former Telltale employees are or have ever been replaceable. They’re quality. And they all deserve so much better.”

Polygon has reached out to Telltale for details on what, if any, compensation will be offered to the 250 employees let go last week. We’ve also asked if they will be considered for any opportunities that may arise to complete their work on The Walking Dead.

The video game industry is notorious for wild cycles of boom and bust. Stories of long hours, one-sided contracts and impetuous managerial decisions are commonplace. Recently, workers in the industry have expressed a desire to organize a union, but no concrete plans have emerged. It’s unclear if such an organization would have even helped in the case of the employees at Telltale.

What is certain, however, is that those laid off will carry this experience with them for the rest of their lives. It will necessarily color their opinions of their own worth as workers and how much of themselves they owe to their future employers. It will force them and their families to evaluate the risks involved in even contemplating a return to the game industry.

That makes Telltale’s struggles relevant to the entire industry, and those who love it.

Source: Polygon