Wayfinder developer Airship Syndicate has laid off 16 employees. 12 full-time workers and four contractors were impacted by the cuts, which follow a layoff round in January that resulted in 12 employees being let go.
Co-founders Ryan Stefanelli and Joe Madureira said the layoffs were made in response to the “difficult challenges facing our industry.” They confirmed the pay cuts they took in January are still in effect, and that they have been self-funding the studio.
Airship Syndicate and Digital Extremes
In November 2023, Airship Syndicate ended its relationship with publisher Digital Extremes. The studio was given full rights to its free-to-play action MMO Wayfinder, which it delisted in May to “make changes.”
Those tweaks involved removing live-service elements in favor of creating a single-player experience with co-op. The revamped version is currently in Early Access.
Madureira and Stefanelli said the 50-person Airship Syndicate team is “committed” to realising Wayfinder’s roadmap and “developing future projects.” At time of writing, those projects remain under wraps.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to all of our employees,” they concluded, “both past and present, for their hard work and dedication.”