Dead By Daylight Developer Laying Off Nearly 100 Employees

Dead By Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive has announced plans to lay off up to 95 employees as part of "several strategic structural changes" within the company that are meant to "draw upon [Behaviour Interactive's] historical strengths to craft an ambitious vision for its future success."

The announcement was made via a lengthy post on the company's website, in which Behaviour Interactive acknowledged that the company's employee count had increased from 575 to 1,300 over the last five years.

"Over the same period, the greater gaming industry has also witnessed remarkable growth," the post reads. "However, the industry’s unprecedented popularity has also led to unprecedented competition."

"To pursue this clarified vision, Behaviour will implement multiple strategic changes to its corporate structure, improving the distinction between its product, production, business development, and marketing resources," the post continued, adding that the aforementioned "strategic changes" include laying off "up to 95 employees." Behaviour Interactive's Montreal studio seems to have been hit the hardest, with 70 employees being removed from their posts.

The announcement stated that the development of the studio's biggest IP, Dead By Daylight, will not be affected by the reduction in staff.

"I would like to express my deep personal appreciation for any employee affected by today’s changes," co-founder and CEO Rémi Racine said of the layoffs. "While changes to our structure and strategic vision have led to challenging decisions, we are confident that these decisions will position us for continued success. As we begin the next phase of Behaviour’s growth, our commitment to excellence in our products and workplace culture remains steadfast."

Layoffs in the gaming industry are at an all-time high, and the announcement of Behaviour's layoffs comes just a day after Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios revealed it would be closing two studios--including its Montreal location, which had only been open for eight months.