Don’t Nod Montreal has recently had layoffs, but not before a troubling series of labor actions.
When we reported on Don’t Nod Montreal’s game Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, the situation behind the scenes didn’t spread online like it should have, and so most fans only knew that this was an adventure game that they split in two parts, to let players experience the story’s time skip in a unique way. It only seemed to be a spiritual successor to Life is Strange that received average reviews. But as it turns out, there was a lot going on behind the scenes.
As far back as November 2024, the workers union objected to Don’t Nod’s plans to layoff 69 employees. Apparently, the issue was not related to financial issues, but a break in relations between management and workers. They shared an open letter accusing management of ‘irresponsible decision-making.’
Last month, the game developer’s union the STJV shared an update on what they fought for on behalf of the workers. They were able to negotiate 46 voluntary departures, and only one developer being laid off. At the time, they touted being able to save 23 jobs, as well as securing severance and strike pay.
This takes us to today with the unfortunate news. Adnan Riaz of the Player 1 Vs. The World podcast shared the bad news on Bluesky (edited for clarity):
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage studio Don’t Nod Montreal has been hit with layoffs today. This is Don’t Nod’s second layoff round in the space of two years.
Don’t Nod had said that Lost Records: Bloom & Rage — the debut IP from Don’t Nod Montreal — had sales that were “in line with forecasts.” But it came thanks to its “strategic partnership” with Sony and warned it was competing in “an increasingly selective market.”
Don’t Nod will likely report its half-year results for 2025 around October time, which will paint the picture for how Lost Records: Bloom & Rage has performed. It said Lost Records was a title with “long-term sales potential.”
As we already explained, Riaz also pointed out that this was a new round of layoffs after the union attempted to thwart layoffs the first time. He was able to confirm layoffs of these staff so far:
- Laurent Dufrense (technical artist)
- Sandra Cormier (QA lead)
- Mary Pouliot (principal cinematic artist)
Don’t Nod hasn’t commented or explained if they had large scale layoffs as of this writing. We wish the best for these and Don’t Nod’s other exiting employees, and hope they can find placement back in the video game industry.
