A yet-to-be-identified number of employees have been let go at Don’t Nod Montreal. Although there has yet to be an official announcement from the studio at the time of writing, GameBaba Universe came across several posts from employees affected by the decision.
Don’t Nod is an independent video game developer and publisher based in Paris and Montreal. The studio was founded in 2008 with the promise of creating powerful and immersive narrative experiences. Don’t Nod expanded internationally by creating its first branch in Montreal in 2020.
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Don’t Nod has an impressive library of games, including Life is Strange, Tell Me Why, Twin Mirror, Vampyr, Jusant, Remember Me, and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. The studio is also working on a new sci-fi action adventure titled Aphelion, which is scheduled to launch sometime in 2026.
Ariane in Aphelion
Life is Strange: Double Exposure launched to mixed reviews. Square Enix, the game’s publisher, later reported “large losses” from the game’s release. Jusant was recently announced to be coming to PlayStation Plus Monthly Games on July 1, 2025.
Don’t Nod Montreal devs post about layoffs on social media
According to their LinkedIn page, Don’t Nod Montreal has 51 – 200 employees. However, the exact number is closer to 100. It is not exactly clear what the number will be after the layoff round.
Tell Me Why
“Yesterday, I was informed that I’m part of the most recent wave of layoffs at DON’T NOD Montréal,” wrote cinematic and gameplay animator Marianne Heon.
“While it’s definitely a tough moment, I’m walking away with a deep sense of gratitude. I had the chance to work with an incredibly talented and passionate team, and I’ve grown so much — both professionally and personally — during my time there.”
Senior game and level designer Mathieu Tremblay wrote, “I am saddened to say I was part of yet another wave of layoffs affecting the video game industry”. Adding that working at “Don’t Nod Montreal was also a good opportunity to broaden my skills, brush up on my Blueprint and work on a different kind of project I usually worked on – narrative games”.
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Technical artist Laurent Dufresne provided a bit of context in his longer post announcing his layoff from the studio. According to Dufresne, what happened at Don’t Nod Montreal “was bound to happen eventually,” and the release of Bloom and Rage, which he said “feels like a miracle given circumstances,” wasn’t enough “to keep our relatively small team whole”.
“I’d like to say I’m shocked but I think the dread across the entire video games industry in the last few years has been a constant we’ve all dealt with on a daily basis, and started to feel numb to.”
From Dufresne’s post, it is easy to deduce that the layoff at Don’t Nod Montreal affected a small number, which he described as “a non-insignificant chunk”.
In all, Alexandra B., a former narrative designer with the studio, expressed optimism, “The industry is in a bit of a dry spell currently, but I can see the beginnings of new growths in there, and I would love to be a part of this coming bloom!”
It appears the layoffs in the studio cut across different departments because 3D animator Daniel Côté was also affected. The tech industry continues to shed employees, with many attributing the trend to the growing adoption of AI.
