Norwegian developer Funcom, known for Dune: Awakening and Conan Exiles, is undergoing a period of restructuring which will result in layoffs. This follows a similar move last year, occurring months after the initial PC release of Dune: Awakening. The company has also appointed a new CEO, with Scott Junior taking over from Rui Casais, who departs after 22 years with the company, 11 of which were as its leader.
Transition to Live Service
The restructuring is a direct consequence of the conclusion of major development work on Dune: Awakening. With the recent release of its console versions on September 22nd, which also introduced a new single-player mode, Funcom is shifting its focus from full production to long-term live service operations. This new phase requires a different organizational structure that is smaller than the one needed during peak development.
"Moving from full production into long-term post-launch development and operations requires a different organisation," stated Rui Casais in a press release. "While we would have wanted everyone who helped build Dune: Awakening to continue with us, we cannot sustain the size and structure required during peak development as we move into this next phase." He emphasized that his focus will be on ensuring the process is as supportive as possible for those affected.
The company has confirmed that this restructuring will mean reducing the size of its organization and "saying goodbye to valued colleagues," a process that begins immediately. Despite these changes, Funcom remains committed to supporting and expanding both Dune: Awakening and Conan Exiles for years to come. The studio pointed to the recent release of Conan Exiles' Enhanced edition as an example of its ongoing commitment to its titles.
Dune: Awakening, described as an ambitious blend of survival game and massively multiplayer online role-playing game, initially launched on PC in June. Players are tasked with surviving on the harsh desert planet of Arrakis while contending with its colossal sandworms. The game's performance on Steam, while strong at launch, saw its player numbers decrease over time. Funcom has since worked to evolve the game into a more traditional survival experience, adding features such as private servers and, with the console release, a dedicated single-player mode. The studio recently announced that Dune: Awakening had welcomed 1 million "new survivors," though this figure includes players through services like Game Pass.