Employees of the Polish Flying Wild Hog studio have organized a trade union that works under the auspices of Związek Pracowników Branży Gier (ZPBG), the union of Polish gaming industry workers. This is the first affiliated studio of the Embracer Group in the ranks of ZPBG.
Evil West
Flying Wild Hog is, in general, only the third studio whose trade union is part of this association. ZPBG started working in October 2023 and has not yet managed to attract many developers. It was formed by employees of CD PROJEKT and 11 bit studios, who wanted to achieve improvements in working conditions and the opportunity to make games in a "stable, fair, diverse and healthy environment."
The union at Flying Wild Hog appeared against the background of mass layoffs at Embracer Group. In June-December 2023, Embracer Group laid off 1,387 people or 8% of the staff as part of the restructuring. Layoffs continued in 2024. According to rough estimates, in January alone, it reduced more than 300 people in its subsidiaries.
Embracer Group has conducted layoffs at Gearbox, Crystal Dynamics, Nimble Giant Entertainment and many other companies. One of the last "victims" was Eidos Montreal, which 97 people left (Eidos Montreal was also forced to cancel the new part of Deus Ex). In addition, by December 2023, Embracer Group had closed seven companies, including Campfire Cabal, Volition and Free Radical Design.
It is unknown whether there were layoffs at Flying Wild Hog.
Flying Wild Hog joined the Embracer Group in November 2020. Its purchase cost $137.2 million.