Weeks After Launching Luna Abyss, Its Entire Development Team At Kwalee Labs Has Been Laid Off
Cosmic horror shooter Luna Abyss launched on May 21 to a generally positive reception, but the team behind it has been laid off. The news comes from developer Kwalee Labs’ CEO.
In a LinkedIn post, CEO Hollie Emery announced that, as of Monday, June 16, the entire team was made redundant. Emery does not give an exact reason as to why, but states the decision was “completely outside of our control.” The small team of nine employees is now looking for work.
“We’re enamoured by the love and support it received both by our industry and critically by journalists and media. Whilst we faced many challenges along the way, it has been the highlight of our careers – and we are incredibly proud that [Luna Abyss] has finally seen the light of day (thank you to everyone who believed in us!),” writes Emery.
Luna Abyss is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC and sees players controlling a prisoner forced to explore a derelict megastructure beneath the surface of a moon called Luna. As you uncover the moon’s mysteries, you’ll gun down cosmic horrors in first-person shooter combat with bullet hell flourishes and an emphasis on traversal and mobility.
The game currently has an 81 critics’ score on Metacritic. Game Informer editor-in-chief Matt Miller endorsed the game in a recent impressions piece, writing, “While it shares much in common with the recently released Saros, including cosmic horror elements and bullet hell dodging of multi-hued attacks, Luna Abyss has a lot to recommend a playthrough all on its own.”
