Indie Game Industry Shaken: Humble Games Layoffs Spark Fears for Smaller Studios

The Humble Fall: A Restructured Publisher Leaves Developers in Limbo

The indie game industry was shaken last week when Humble Games, known for its support of independent developers and its prominent presence within the lauded Humble Bundle platform, announced a "restructuring" that resulted in the layoff of its entire 36-person team, leaving many developers in a state of uncertainty about the future of their projects.

While Humble Games has assured developers that its commitment to them remains strong and that the restructuring is intended to improve operations, the sudden and unexpected nature of the layoffs has sparked widespread concern and anxiety within the indie development community. The ripple effect of the restructuring has left developers scrambling to adapt to the new landscape and, in some cases, facing potential delays or complications with their console porting plans.

Humble Games’ origins lie within the immensely popular Humble Bundle, known for its curated bundles of games offered at discounted prices and with a portion of the proceeds donated to charity. In 2017, Humble Bundle launched Humble Games, a dedicated publishing arm to assist independent developers in bringing their games to a wider audience. Since then, Humble Games has become synonymous with quality, fostering a reputation for championing diverse and innovative titles.

The list of games published by Humble Games boasts notable successes like Slay the Spire, the critically acclaimed roguelike deckbuilder, Signalis, a survival horror game with a rich and unsettling atmosphere, Unpacking, a charming and meditative game about unpacking boxes, and Coral Island, a farming simulator with a focus on environmental conservation.

However, the recent restructuring has cast a dark shadow over this reputation. Developers who worked with Humble Games express deep concern about how the transition will affect their projects, particularly those with console porting plans.

One of the most vocal critics of the situation is Amir Fassihi, studio director at Dead Mage, the team behind the upcoming game Wizard of Legend 2. Fassihi shared his anxieties with The Verge, stating, “We do not want to make any changes. However, we’re unsure what changes will be forced on us because everyone in the publisher we collaborated with in the past 2.5 years is suddenly gone.” Dead Mage is now left in a precarious position, relying on the "new team" to deliver the critical publishing services originally promised by Humble Games.

According to multiple reports and statements from developers, the "new team" at Humble Games is the Powell Group, a video game consulting company. While neither Humble Games nor the Powell Group has officially confirmed this information, the Powell Group’s involvement has been widely reported.

The Powell Group’s entrance into the equation further amplifies the uncertainty surrounding the future of the publishing arm, as many developers are unfamiliar with the company and their methods. This lack of transparency and communication has further exacerbated the sense of unease among developers.

For many, the biggest concern revolves around console porting, which often involved a significant level of support from Humble Games. Squid Shock Studios, the developers behind the newly released action RPG Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus, have expressed alarm about the future of the game’s console versions. “We are actively pursuing all available avenues to allow us to roll out updates to console versions, but we regret to say this may take some time to put in place.”

Stairway Games, the developer of Coral Island, faces a similar dilemma. Their game has been released on Xbox Series X / S, PlayStation 5, and Steam, with a Switch version in development. However, the restructuring has created significant challenges regarding the Switch port. The team is nearing the release of a hotfix for its 1.1 update on Steam but has no access to the backend permissions on other platforms to push out updates, leaving them unable to deliver the update to console players.

Even finding an alternative publisher might prove a difficult and time-consuming process. “To the best of my understanding, Humble Games is fulfilling their contractual obligations to us, so changing publishers would be an extremely uphill battle,” shares Matthew Taylor of Rolling Hills developer Catch & Release.

Despite the anxieties, some developers have reported a more positive experience with the Powell Group. Cody Greenhalge, technical director at Exit 73 Studios, the developer of #Blud, said that the Powell Group has “worked well with us and we are hopeful our game won’t have any long lasting effects from this ordeal.”

Catch & Release has also been assigned new dedicated personnel under the Powell Group’s guidance, including a release manager, producer, and back catalog specialist. While the efficiency of this new team is yet to be determined, Taylor expresses optimism about their ability to manage updates and events for Rolling Hills.

In a direct response to concerns raised by developers, Humble Games spokesperson Michael Brown stated to Polygon that "nothing has changed and no developers have had to change their porting plans; every project is moving ahead." Brown further assured developers that the new team is there to enhance operations and support levels, ultimately alleviating concerns.

However, the sentiment among many indie developers remains cautious. The sudden nature of the layoffs coupled with the lack of communication and transparency has left a sense of insecurity and mistrust. Even if the restructuring aims to improve operations, the implementation has been bumpy, putting developers in a vulnerable position.

While Humble Games maintains its commitment to supporting its development partners, the immediate future of those partnerships remains shrouded in uncertainty. The situation highlights the vulnerabilities of indie game development, where even well-established companies like Humble Games can experience abrupt and impactful changes. The coming months will be crucial in determining how Humble Games navigates this new chapter and how it can regain the trust and confidence of the indie development community.

Moving forward, it is vital for Humble Games to establish clear communication channels with developers, provide concrete details about the restructuring’s impact, and offer tangible assurances regarding the future of their game projects. Open, transparent communication and proactive support will be essential for rebuilding trust and ensuring that this transition becomes a smooth one for all involved.

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