Reflector confirms more layoffs after Unknown 9 falls short of expectations

Unknown 9: Awakening developer Reflector Entertainment is laying off an undisclosed number of employees after ending development on an upcoming project.

The Bandai Namco-owned studio said continuing work on the unnamed project, which was in the conceptualisation phase, would have been “unsustainable.”

In a statement posted on Linkedin, Reflector CEO Herve Hoerdt confirmed the decision will result in some redundancies.

“This decision correlates directly with the failure of the studio’s ambitious and courageous first project, a new IP with a rich transmedia universe. The performance of the release didn’t come near the company expectations, after numerous timeline adjustments and investments, both financially and other, and didn’t warrant any further exploration in this universe,” wrote Hoerdt.

“Unfortunately, this also affects back-office staff, bringing the support teams in line with the single project approach the studio will adopt for the imminent future. Where possible, staff will be assigned to this project, based on an existing Bandai Namco IP, which is shaping up very well.”

That debut project was Unknown 9, a fantasy action-adventure title pitched as the first entry in an “intertwining” transmedia universe.

Reflector said it intended to create a vast “storyworld” across different mediums, but has now conceded Unknown 9 didn’t meet expectations.

It’s a drastically different appraisal to the one offered last year, when Reflector laid off 18 percent of its workforce but insisted the decision wasn’t linked to “commercial success or external pressures.”

Discussing the latest redundancies, Hoerdt said Reflector will support those impacted with “adequate” severance packages, extended health benefits, continued access to counselling services, and proactive career planning support.

He said Reflector parent company Bandai Namco will also continue investing in “Western content for global audiences.”

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