Eidos Montréal Lays Off 75 Employees as Work on ‘Mandate’ Ends
Canadian studio Eidos Montréal has announced the layoffs of 75 employees, attributing the decision to the conclusion of an external “mandate.” In an official statement on X (formerly Twitter), the developer clarified that while these staff members are skilled and dedicated, the studio lacks the capacity to move them into its ongoing in-house projects.
The context surrounding this “mandate” strongly suggests it may refer to Eidos Montréal’s previously disclosed collaboration on Playground Games’ Fable reboot. Earlier reports revealed that Eidos Montréal was assisting in the development process. With the game’s targeted release shifting from 2025 to 2026, it’s plausible that Fable has progressed to a stage where less external support is required, prompting the current layoffs.
Unfortunately, this marks the second round of workforce reductions at the Montreal-based developer in just over a year. In January 2024, Eidos Montréal let go of 97 employees following the cancellation of a potential Deus Ex project. The studio’s most recent published game remains the critically praised but commercially underwhelming Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
On a related note, Crystal Dynamics, another Embracer-owned sister studio, recently announced 17 layoffs. Much like Eidos Montréal, Crystal Dynamics has been collaborating with a Microsoft-owned developer—the firm has been assisting The Initiative with the Perfect Dark revival.
It remains to be seen what unannounced titles Eidos Montréal might be working on internally. Nevertheless, the studio reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing projects, aiming to minimize the impact on its core development pipeline.
What do you think of Eidos Montréal’s second major staff reduction in just over a year? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
