OtherSide Entertainment, the studio co-helmed by industry veterans Warren Spector and Paul Neurath, has laid off 17 employees and canceled its multiplayer immersive sim, Argos: Riders on the Storm. A spokesperson for the studio, known for the recently released stealth title Thick as Thieves, stated that Argos "could have been a huge success in normal times," but the current "brutally challenging" state of the games industry has rendered its continuation unviable.
The layoffs were effective at the end of May, following the decision to cancel Argos. The studio noted that the 17 impacted individuals are highly recommended for other hiring studios.
Details about Argos were relatively scarce, with the game described on OtherSide's website as a multiplayer immersive simulation from Warren Spector where players could "pick a playstyle" in an evolving alien world. This description, along with information about the studio's crowdfunded title Underworld Ascendant, has since been removed from the site, leaving only information on Thick as Thieves.
Thick as Thieves itself saw a late shift in focus from PvPvE to solo and co-op play shortly before its May 20th launch.