Luna Abyss Developers Laid Off Just Weeks After Launch
Late last month, Kwalee Labs launched its first-person horror shooter Luna Abyss on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Despite the game’s day-one inclusion in Xbox Game Pass, the team behind the project has now been let go.
Kwalee Labs CEO and production director Hollie Emery shared the news on her LinkedIn page, stating that she and the other eight members of the Luna Abyss development team were laid off earlier this week. The reasons for the layoffs were not disclosed in her post.
"Unfortunately as of yesterday, the entire team has been made redundant; a decision that was completely outside of our control," wrote Emery. "As a result, the entire team are available for work as of today."
Emery also reflected on the reception of Luna Abyss, noting that the team was "enamoured by the love and support it received both by our industry and critically by journalists and media." She added that while the project faced many challenges, it was "the highlight of our careers," and the team is "incredibly proud" that the game has finally been released to the public.
Critical Reception and Player Engagement
According to Metacritic, Luna Abyss earned an 81% score and was generally well-received by critics. While specific Game Pass numbers are not yet available, the game's peak concurrent players on Steam reached 18,597 near launch. However, its most recent 24-hour peak was only 310 players, indicating a significant decline in player engagement.
Game Overview
Luna Abyss places players in control of Fawkes, a woman imprisoned on a moon called Luna. Her mission is to excavate and explore the deep passages beneath the surface while being monitored by her AI prison guard, Aylin. As Fawkes uncovers the secrets of Luna, she must fight for her life against cosmic horrors that defy description.
Presumably, Luna Abyss will remain available on its current platforms. The layoffs at Kwalee Labs come at a time when even prominent first-party studios at Xbox are negotiating with Microsoft to avoid being shut down. The future of those studios remains uncertain.
