Skydance, the company formed by the recent merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount, has announced a mandatory five-day return-to-office policy for its employees. Alongside this mandate, the company is also offering voluntary buyouts as part of its integration process.
In an internal email, Skydance CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz stated that in-person collaboration is crucial for a creative company. They believe that being physically present together fosters inspiration, learning, coaching, friendship, and the casual interactions that can lead to significant ideas. The five-day in-office policy is seen as being in the best interest of both the company and its employees, with benefits reportedly observed at Paramount.
The voluntary buyout program provides employees with an opportunity to leave the company with a severance package. It is described as a one-time offer, though eligibility for specific teams was not detailed. This move comes weeks after the substantial $110 billion merger that brought Warner Bros. and Paramount under the Skydance umbrella.
Skydance's portfolio now includes numerous game development studios, such as Netherrealm, the creators of Mortal Kombat; Portkey Games, known for Hogwarts Legacy; Avalanche Software; and Paramount Games Studios. It remains unclear if developers within these studios are eligible for the voluntary buyouts or when they will be required to adhere to the return-to-office policy.
This situation mirrors recent trends in the industry. Microsoft recently offered voluntary exit packages to approximately 60,000 employees, a move that coincided with widespread layoffs at Xbox and a significant push into artificial intelligence. Last year, EA also reinforced its return-to-office policy, with its CEO emphasizing the value of in-person work for generating "kinetic energy that fuels creativity."