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Immortals of Aveum First Person Shooter Fantasy Game Informer 8 Review

Immortals Of Aveum Dev Ascendant Studios Lays Off 45% Of Staff

by Wesley LeBlanc on Sep 14, 2023 at 03:24 PM

Immortals of Aveum hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC just weeks ago. We had a great time with it, giving it an 8 out of 10 in our review. Today, developer Ascendant Studios laid off approximately 45 percent of its staff. 

Ascendant founder and CEO Bret Robbins released a statement on Twitter today, explaining the large reduction in staff. He says it was a painfully difficult decision but a necessary one following the release of Immortals of Aveum on August 22. Here’s Robbins’ statement in full: 

"Today, we are heartbroken as we part ways with friends and colleagues at Ascendant Studios – about 45% of our team. This was a painfully difficult, but necessary decision that was not made lightly; nevertheless, we have to make this adjustment now that Immortals of Aveum has shipped. We are supporting those affected in every way we can, including comprehensive severance packages and job placement assistance, as well as support services for those who remain. If your studio is looking for proven UE5 artists and engineers, please reach out and let us know so we can introduce you to some incredibly talented game devs. 
"I am so proud of what our independent development team has accomplished with Immortals of Aveum. Together we've created a new AAA studio, a new IP, on new technology, during an era of our industry when that is exceedingly rare. We've poured our passion into Immortals, while wearing our hearts on our sleeves. The studio will continue to work that way as we support the development of this game and our Immortals IP moving forward with future updates and offers. 
"To my team reading this message, especially those leaving us, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your invaluable contributions to Ascendant's culture and your tremendous impact on bringing Immortals of Aveum to life. We wish you nothing but success in the next chapter of your careers. Please stay in touch."

The hearts of the Game Informer staff are with everyone affected by these layoffs and those still at the studio. 

These layoffs follow the release of Immortals of Aveum, a game we thoroughly enjoyed, on August 22. Before its launch, we went hands-on with Immortals of Aveum at Ascendant Studios and talked with the team about creating a new first-person shooter in Unreal Engine 5.

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Wesley LeBlanc
Wesley LeBlanc
Senior Associate Editor
Wesley LeBlanc is a Senior Associate Editor for Game Informer. If you have any news tips, story ideas, or more, feel free to DM him on BlueSky at @wesleyleblanc.bsky.social or email him at [email protected].
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