Social media posts indicate that The Chinese Room, best known for its multi-award-winning game Still Wakes the Deep, has let go of an undisclosed number of employees. Reports about the layoffs started surfacing three days ago.
While GameBaba Universe only spotted four former employees who posted about being laid off from the studio, there are at least 10 others who have added the infamous green #OpenToWork badge on their LinkedIn profiles.
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While the number of employees who have updated their profiles gives us a minimum estimate of the number of people who may have been impacted, it may be inaccurate in telling the entire story, considering that not everyone likes to share their personal life on social media.
GameIndustries.biz reached out to The Chinese Room for clarification but did not get a confirmation from the studio. Instead, the studio director, Ed Daly, replied, “The Chinese Room will share news on changes for the studio in the coming weeks”.
The Chinese Room is a property of Sumo Group. In February, the parent company announced that it was restructuring its business with more focus on development services.
Still Wakes the Deep won three BAFTA Awards earlier this year, including an award for New Intellectual Property. The game’s publisher, Secret Mode, also won the Indie Publisher of the Year at the MCV/DEVELOP awards 2025, edging other publishers in the category, including Wired Productions, Playtonic Friends, and Fireshine Games.
Ex-The Chinese Room developers confirm layoff on social media
The Chinese Room is based in Brighton, UK, and has several titles to its name, including Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture. However, Still Wakes the Deep is arguably one of their most successful releases yet.
The company was founded in 2007. According to their LinkedIn Page, they have between 51 and 200 employees. The news of layoffs at The Chinese Room is coming days after the release of Still Wakes the Deep’s story DLC titled Siren’s Rest.
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Level designer, Amy, whose profile is listed as working as a level designer with The Chinese Room, wrote on LinkedIn, “I’m currently looking for a new role. If you are looking for a Senior Level Designer who is all about those player feelings, send me a message!”
“I’m seeking a new role and would appreciate your support,” wrote Sandrine Neill, who worked as a lighting artist with The Chinese Room. “If you hear of any opportunities or just want to catch up, please send me a message or comment below.”
3D animator, Bradley Adams, also posted that his role and “many others” have been affected by recent events without specifically mentioning what the event was or how many others were affected. However, his profile shows that he worked at The Chinese Room.
Callum Munro, a senior technical support at Sumo Group and The Chinese Room, said he was sad to be moving on after working for over 4 years with Sumo.
GameBaba Universe will update this post if and when we hear an official statement from The Chinese Room on the matter.
