Update April 8th 7:34AM: Singularity 6 has provided us with an official statement regarding the layoffs reported below.
A Singularity 6 spokesperson told us that the layoffs were made "after careful consideration of [the studio's] development and business needs", and that they affected "around 35 percent" of the developer's staff.
Original story follows below.
Original story: Palia developer Singularity 6 has apparently become one of the latest studios to be swept up in the ongoing industry wave of layoffs.
Singularity 6 staffers, including environment artist Daphne Fiato and engineer Brian Ernst, have posted on social media about being laid off from Singularity 6, and ex-infrastructure staffer Emily Price also commiserated on LinkedIn with those affected by the layoffs.
According to Fiato, 49 Singularity 6 staffers have been laid off in total, which would likely represent a pretty significant portion of the total employees at the studio (although we don't have exact numbers).
No official statement regarding the layoffs has been made by Singularity 6, and it's not clear whether the studio has focused on specific areas or whether the layoffs are more general across the company.
As pointed out by X (formerly Twitter) user Shiba Rin, however, the Palia developer does still say it's looking for new employees on its official website, which isn't a great look if staff members are actively being let go.
We've reached out to Singularity 6 for official comment on this story and will update as soon as we hear anything back.
Singularity 6's layoffs are part of a wider pattern in the industry, and it's one that has hit major triple-A studios and indie developers alike.
Other indie studios hit by layoffs in recent months include Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM, Wayfinder and Ruined King developer Airship Syndicate, and smaller outfits like Bossa Studios and Archiact.
It's not just indie outfits, though; bigger companies, including titans like Sony and Microsoft (as well as tabletop giant Hasbro), have also been hit by layoffs, and some studios, like Saints Row developer Volition, have shut down outright.
We'll bring you more on the ongoing industry layoff wave as soon as we get it, so stay tuned for further information.
