Strikerz is a studio with Belarusian roots, currently based in Cyprus. Anonymous sources have informed App2Top that it has faced mass layoffs due to challenges with the soccer simulator UFL.
UFL
It should be noted right away that Strikerz is primarily responsible for the console version of UFL. There is also a mobile version of the game, which is handled by another studio — Press Fire Games.
According to a person familiar with the studio's situation, the layoffs will ultimately reduce Strikerz’s staff by more than half — from 450 to 200 employees. Currently, the staff is in discussions with the HR department, and in the coming days, it will become clear who will be "out on the street."
It is claimed that problems at Strikerz had been brewing for a long time. Many employees suspected potential layoffs as early as this past winter, but formally, the roots of the current issues go back even further.
The studio's difficulties began about six months after the release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, which took place in December 2024. The game, positioned as a competitor to EA Sports FC and eFootball, did not perform as successfully as Strikerz had hoped. Although it initially showed fairly good results, the metrics declined over time. In an attempt to retain the console version’s audience, the studio experimented with LiveOps, but it was unsuccessful. Consequently, Strikerz soon lost at least some of its partners.
It's noteworthy that a year before the release, Strikerz secured significant funding. A number of investors, including the famous footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, invested $40 million. However, sources claim that Strikerz’s relationship with Ronaldo was more akin to a partnership contract, similar to those Electronic Arts signs with football teams, and that contract has recently expired.
All of this was exacerbated by managerial chaos within the studio. Sources alleged that there were significant communication difficulties in Strikerz. One of the clearest examples of this situation was the use of different task trackers by various departments, complicating work on UFL and delaying processes.
According to the source, the final straw was Strikerz’s failure to sign a contract with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). As part of the collaboration, the developers wanted to conduct an event in UFL dedicated to the 2026 World Cup and prepared a vast amount of content, but ultimately the efforts were shelved.
Amidst such circumstances, an audit was recently conducted at Strikerz — it was performed by Press Fire Games. Following the review, many top managers were dismissed from the studio, and a decision was made to initiate a large-scale restructuring. During this process, a substantial portion of regular employees will also be let go.