Wayfinder developer Airship Syndicate has confirmed the layoffs of 12 employees, originally reported by Nicole Carpenter of Polygon, as part of an effort to keep the studio open and operating. In an unusual twist, Airship Syndicate said company president Ryan Stefanelli and CEO Joe Madureira are also taking pay cuts.
"I can confirm that today we had to part ways with 12 of our coworkers," an Airship Syndicate rep said in a statement provided to PC Gamer. "This decision was made to ensure that Airship Syndicate can continue to operate and deliver great experiences. In addition to reducing staff, Ryan Stefanelli, President, and Joe Madureira, CEO, will be reducing their pay while we work to secure our future plans."
The rep added that there are currently 80 people "working full-time on Wayfinder."
How much of a cut Stefanelli and Madureira will take wasn't specified. It's a bit unusual for studio executives to take pay cuts during times of trouble—typically they just intact.
Wayfinder looked very promising when we checked out an full control" of the game back to Airship Syndicate.
Despite the cuts, the Airship Syndicate rep said that "this is not the end for Wayfinder," and that more information about the game's future will be revealed soon.
