Bit Reactor lays off staff after furloughed workers return

Bit Reactor has laid off an unspecified number of employees, weeks after the studio began bringing furloughed staff back to work. Several employees announced their departures on LinkedIn, including producer Michael Blackard, senior quality assurance analyst Ryan Mosher, UI engineer Tyler Eichten and environment artist Ryan Lopez.

Lopez wrote that he had been laid off after a three-month furlough. Other employees also described being let go. Reports said November 6 was the last day at the studio for some affected workers. Bit Reactor has not publicly confirmed how many people were laid off or explained the cuts.

The layoffs follow a period of furloughs and partial returns. Bit Reactor furloughed staff ahead of the August 27 launch of Star Wars Zero Company. In October, chief executive Greg Foertsch said the studio had started the process of returning more team members to work. He described the furlough as a difficult decision prompted by business developments outside the studio’s control.

The accounts do not establish how many furloughed employees returned or whether the newly reported layoffs affected people who had returned. Ryan Lopez said he had been furloughed for three...