Hunting Grounds Developer Announces Layoffs

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 5, 2024 13 Views 5 Min Read
Hunting Grounds Developer Announces Layoffs



Key Takeaways

  • IllFonic, developer of Predator: Hunting Grounds, announced layoffs due to the ongoing industry impact.
  • CEO and Co-Founder Charles Brungardt confirmed cuts had been made to the studio’s teams as it “re-aligned to a refined strategy.”
  • Support for the affected team members poured in on social media, highlighting appreciation for their projects and talents.



The developer behind Predator: Hunting Grounds IllFonic has announced a wave of layoffs within the studio, which is an unfortunate recurrence that has plagued several sectors of the gaming industry recently. Ubisoft, NetherRealm Studios, and Take-Two Interactive, to name a few, were all affected by layoffs in 2024, and now, IllFonic, the studio behind several asymmetrical and multiplayer games, will follow suit.

IllFonic is an American-based developer with offices in Colorado, Washington, and Texas, and the studio was founded by Charles Brungardt, Kedhrin Gonzales, and Raphael Saadiq in 2007. IllFonic’s popular asymmetrical horror Friday the 13th: The Game recently shut down its servers on October 31, and horror fans are hoping for another project featuring the serial killer Jason Voorhees to surface in the future that meets the standard of the 2017 game.


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Announced on the developer’s Twitter account, IllFonic CEO and Co-Founder Charles Brungardt confirmed the developer had accepted the “harsh reality that the state of the industry has impacted us.” The statement outlined that cuts had been made to the studio’s teams as it “re-aligned to a refined strategy.” Destiny developer Bungie laid off 200 people this year to re-evaluate its development efforts, which is a process echoed in IllFonic’s refined strategy move. Brungardt acknowledged it was with “the heaviest of hearts” to deliver the news, and encouraged other companies to take advantage of the affected team members’ talents for other positions in the industry. The CEO did not confirm the number of roles that were affected in-office, but Senior Social Media and Community Manager Mike Robles was confirmed to be among them.


Predator: Hunting Grounds Developer IllFonic Announces Layoffs


The gaming industry has endured mass layoffs throughout 2024, including Riot Games’ recent reduction of its League of Legends developers, but the outpouring of support for the IllFonic team arrived in abundance through social media. Industry professionals and fans of the developer showed support for all those affected and took the chance to send their appreciation for the projects they were involved in, such as Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. Furthermore, Robles added in a personal Twitter post that the layoffs came as a shock to many employees.

IllFonic has developed seven games since 2012’s Nexuiz, including Dead Alliance and Arcadegeddon, and the studio also provided supportive development for Armored Warfare, Star Citizen, and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game recently received new content, including Klowntalities, mini-games, and extra goodies for the Halloween period, and the 2024 title was another project IllFonic developed and published.


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