Ascendant Studios lays off nearly half of its staff after 'Immortals of Aveum' flops

Ascendant Studios

Ascendant Studios, the developer behind Immortals of Aveum, a first-person shooter with magic elements, has announced that it is cutting almost half its staff. The layoffs come just weeks after the game’s launch. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), CEO Bret Robbins said that the company had to make this “painfully difficult, but necessary” decision that would affect around 45 percent of its workers (about 40 people). He added that Ascendant would provide severance packages and job placement assistance to those who were let go. The remaining employees will keep working on the game for now.

Immortals of Aveum is the debut title from Ascendant, an independent studio that boasts veteran developers in its ranks. However, the game faced stiff competition from other major releases. Publisher EA did not choose an optimal launch window either.

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EA drops new 'Immortals of Aveum' trailer

EA recently released a new trailer for Immortals of Aveum. The game is described as a single-player "first-person magic shooter," which it is publishing under its EA Originals label. Ascendant Studios is developing the title, which will come to the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and the PC on July 20th.

EA and Ascendant describe the game as: "Players experience this visceral and cinematic, story-driven game through the eyes of Jak, as he joins an elite order of battlemages, masters all three colors of magic - blue, green, and red - and decimates legions of enemies with clever chained attacks and well-timed counters. Combining a modern story within a fantasy setting, the world ofAveum is filled with unforgettable characters, fast-paced action and spell-based combat that defies FPS conventions."

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