Tripwire Interactive, the studio behind Killing Floor and Maneater, has laid off 36 employees, its second round of job cuts this year.
The studio announced the cuts in a statement on Twitter/X, describing a "workforce reduction" affecting "36 talented people across our studio." Tripwire called it "certainly not an easy decision, but unfortunately a necessary one for the organization," and said it would support those affected "with compassion and dignity during this transition." The statement did not give a reason for the reduction.
Maneater 2 and Killing Floor 3 stay in production
Alongside the layoff news, Tripwire said the staff who remain are focused on internal projects, naming "active development of Maneater 2, ongoing work on Killing Floor 3 and publishing efforts under the Tripwire Presents label." The studio also said it remains committed to its community, according to Rock Paper Shotgun.
Maneater 2 is the sequel to Tripwire's comedic shark action game. Gamebonk's release tracker lists it for 2027 on PC and PS5, with no more specific date set. Tripwire's statement did not mention any change to that timing.
Killing Floor 3, the latest entry in the studio's co-op horde shooter series, launched 16 months ago, Rock Paper Shotgun notes, and continues to receive post-launch updates that the studio says are still being worked on.
“This was certainly not an easy decision, but unfortunately a necessary one for the organization.”Tripwire Interactive
A second round of cuts in 2026
The layoffs follow an earlier reduction in March, when 23 staff were let go, according to GamesIndustry.biz. They also land just days after Tripwire broadened its publishing operation to back smaller, self-published indie developers, a move both outlets point to as recent context. Rock Paper Shotgun adds that the announcement came within hours of separate layoffs at Skydance Games.
Tripwire has been part of Embracer Group since 2022, when it was acquired through Embracer's then-subsidiary Saber Interactive. GamesIndustry.biz reports that Embracer sold Saber for $247 million in 2024 but held on to Tripwire.
The studio was founded in 2005 by John Gibson and Alan Wilson. Gibson stepped down as CEO in 2021 following anti-abortion comments, with Wilson stepping in as interim CEO, and former CFO Matthew LoPilato was promoted to the top job in 2024, according to GamesIndustry.biz.
