adminImage credit: FuturLab
FuturLab layoffs have affected seven employees after the studio cancelled a game project unrelated to the PowerWash Simulator series. The decision came while the project was in pre-production, according to CEO Kirsty Rigden, who said its expected cost had exceeded its projected return. The studio has said it remains focused on PowerWash Simulator 2 while exploring ideas for future games.
FuturLab layoffs follow cancellation of a new project
Rigden explained that continuing with the cancelled project would not have been a sensible financial decision. She also said the studio had reviewed its future plans and staffing needs as it works on PowerWash Simulator 2 and prototypes other game concepts.
The CEO described the staff reductions as difficult, noting that those affected were talented team members, including people who had worked at the studio for a long time. She said making the decision early was intended to help protect FuturLab’s future. Rigden did not provide further details about the employees’ formal departure process, citing confidentiality and legal obligations.
Practical context: A project being cancelled during pre-production does not necessarily mean it was close to release. Pre-production is an early development phase in which a studio plans and tests a game before committing to full production.
What reports say about the staff changes
Accounts from anonymous sources indicate that the project’s cancellation was announced internally in late June. Those sources said development had lasted between two and three years and alleged that some team members went weeks without receiving new assignments after the cancellation.
The seven employees were reportedly made redundant in July. Sources also claimed that some managers and team leads were not told in advance that their direct reports would be leaving or given an explanation. These accounts have not been independently confirmed in the information available.
According to the same reports, a meeting in August addressed a restructuring at the studio. Sources alleged that employees were then asked to avoid the word “redundancy” and use “the leavers” when referring to affected colleagues. They also said staff were told that the people leaving were not required for PowerWash Simulator 2 and that the departures would not affect its development.
PowerWash Simulator 2 remains a studio priority
FuturLab has said it is committed to developing PowerWash Simulator 2 while testing ideas for games beyond the series. Rigden has previously discussed the studio’s interest in working on more than one project at a time and avoiding an identity limited to a single franchise. The cancelled project had been part of that broader ambition, but the studio ultimately reconsidered its plans.
For players, the studio’s statement indicates that PowerWash Simulator 2 remains its central development focus. However, the available information does not provide a release date or further details about how the wider restructuring may affect future projects.
What the FuturLab layoffs mean
The FuturLab layoffs followed a cancelled project that the company said was not financially viable to continue. While the studio maintains that the changes will not affect PowerWash Simulator 2, details about the restructuring largely come from anonymous accounts and should be understood as reported allegations rather than confirmed statements from the company.
