According to reports, big layoffs are underway at Fantasy Flight Games as yet another hobby company stumbles in a crowded business space…
As of publishing time, neither FFG or Asmodee has commented publicly about any sort of layoffs or restructuring. Affected employees have taken to forums such as Reddit, and Linkedin to address the situation, however.
According to former FFG Employee Sam Bailey layoffs have occurred to both the Fantasy Flight Interactive and RPG departments.
A large amount of people have been laid off from Fantasy Flight Games and Fantasy Flight Interactive.
Fantasy Flight Interactive is set to be closed down completely.
Most, if not all, the RPG department has been laid off.
Numerous other employees have been cut in a large reorganization of the entire studio following the departure of several key members of the company that have been there for years.
Head of FFI Tim Gerritson has confirmed that department’s layoffs on Linkedin and is looking to help his team land on their feet:
It’s also worth noting that Fantasy Flight Games studio head Andrew Navaro (who has been at that position since 2016) recently left the company as well.
In 2004, Andrew Navaro joined the team at Fantasy Flight Games—working from a Graphic Designer up the ranks to eventually take the reins as Head of Studio in 2016. As FFG’s Head of Studio, Andrew shaped the trajectory of countless games and expansions, elevating every product to come out of Fantasy Flight Games over these past years. At the end of 2019, however, Andrew will be moving on to the next step of his professional journey, exploring new possibilities and creating new experiences.
Skimming through the various postings by fans and employees alike there is all sorts of finger-pointing and “armchair quarterback” explanations of why these layoffs are occurring. Our favorite being the rumor that Disney is looking to buy Asmodee.
However, at the end of the day, I think one thing that is for certain is that after similar notices from other businesses in the space it seems like 2019 was a bit of a soft year for the hobby.
What do you think is the cause of the issues in our hobby space?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
