The wave of layoffs has reached Archiact Interactive — the VR studio responsible for games Journey to Foundation and FREEDIVER: Triton Down, and also involved in the development of DOOM 3: VR Edition.
Journey to Foundation
Archiact Interactive announced in an official statement that it was forced to conduct layoffs due to issues in the gaming industry. They did not specify how many people lost their jobs, only noting that a wide range of employees were affected: developers, testers, artists, marketers, and others. The studio described those laid off as talented professionals and urged other companies to consider them. They are willing to share contacts with anyone interested in hiring their former employees.
The layoffs at Archiact Interactive occurred shortly after the release of the spy VR action game Journey to Foundation on Steam, which is based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation novel series. The game appeared in Valve's store on June 7 and received only 11 reviews, 63% of which were positive. The release of Journey to Foundation on other platforms, including the PlayStation Store, took place earlier in October 2023.