2024 is full of video game company layoffs, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon for the misfortune of all. Evening Star is the latest to face such a turmoil.

For those not in the know, Evening Star is an indie company known for this year’s 3D platforming game hit Penny’s Big Breakaway. The company is also under the umbrella of Private Division, a section of 2K Games that handles these small-time studios. The indie company had to lay off six of its employees due to not being able to securefunding for a new title they’re working on. Here’s a quote from CEO Dave Paddila (via LinkedIn):

“This was a post that I was hoping to not have to write, but Evening Star has been swept up in the same turbulence that has affected so many of our peers in the games industry for the last year and a half.

Despite our best efforts to secure another project to keep our team together, we are in the unfortunate situation of having to lay off some of the folks that have worked with us for the last few years on Penny’s Big Breakaway.

This isn’t a choice we wanted to make, as they are all very talented and valued individuals,” chief technology officer and game director Hunter Bridges wrote in his own post, saying the cuts were forced by “volatile market conditions in the games industry and operational realities of our business.”

Apart from Penny’s Big Breakaway, Evening Star’s team used to work on the acclaimed Sonic Mania titles. While six employees may not seem like much, Evening Star is made up of about 19 people, so that’s still a significant amount of manpower.

As for the title itself? Penny’s Big Breakaway is a great 3D platformer, especially after its bugs were fixed in the first early patch. Steam numbers, however, weren’t so hot as the game peaked 500+ players despite many positive reviews.

Unfortunately, this isn’t going to be the end of the retrenchment bloodbath. Previously, companies like Microsoft, Midnight Society, Lost Boys Interactivev, and Ballistic Moon (the ones making the unnecessary Until Dawn remake) have seen layoffs.