Funcom, the developer behind Dune: Awakening, has announced today that it is implementing layoffs as part of a restructuring initiative within the studio, affecting an unspecified number of employees.

In a recent statement, the Norwegian studio explained that the layoffs are part of a larger effort to gear up for future content releases, features, and improvements. The statement emphasized the need to transition from development to long-term operational support while preparing for a significant console launch planned for next year. This transition necessitates a reorganization of teams and an allocation of resources across various projects, which sadly means bidding farewell to valued team members.

The studio noted that this challenging process has commenced, but the precise impact on the staff is still unclear. They are actively seeking new opportunities for those affected by the layoffs.

Funcom has committed to ensuring that impacted individuals receive the support and assistance they need during this transitional period, requesting patience as they refrain from providing further comments during this time.

Dune: Awakening has been noted as a significant success for Funcom, boasting a peak of approximately 190,000 concurrent players on Steam at launch, with around 100,000 users accessing a more expensive priority version. However, recent player counts have stabilized at about 20,000 concurrent daily users.

With a rich history in the MMO and survival genres, Funcom had intended to continue supporting Dune: Awakening post-launch, and even released its first major free update recently. Unfortunately, these efforts were insufficient to prevent the workforce reductions.