People Make Games’ Chris Bratt first broke news of the possible closure on Twitter, saying that it’s come as a surprise to many of the studio’s employees. “Funomena is set to be closed by the end of this month, with all contractors already having been laid off as of last Wednesday”, Bratt said. “This announcement has caught many employees by surprise, who now find themselves looking for other work, with their last paycheck coming this Friday.” Funomena announced news of their situation later via Twitter. “Funomena was in the process of closing an investment round just before GDC & we are still actively working to do so. Last week we let everyone know that if we do not successfully finish the fundraise, we will be forced to close the studio”. According to People Make Games’ report, several former Funomena employees said co-founder Robin Hunicke is responsible for creating a toxic work environment, especially for women and people of colour. Clearly something needs to change at the studio if it does manage to stay afloat. I just hope that whatever happens, all of Funomena’s talented team find their feet quickly.
