Sheffield’s Sumo Digital has confirmed that a number of roles are at risk of redundancy.
Staff were informed yesterday and a number of programmers and game designers at all levels have revealed that their jobs have been marked as “risk of redundancy.”
“After 5 years at Sumo Digital, it breaks my heart to say that my role has been marked as at risk of redundancy,” wrote one.
“I’m saddened to lose my place at such a supportive and inclusive company. I feel for my colleagues also receiving this dreaded news today.”
Sumo Digital hasn’t announced exactly how many jobs could be lost, while the consultancy process is underway.
In a statement, the company said:
“Like many other studios, we have had to adapt to ongoing instability, evolving our business to remain resilient and positioned for long-term success.
“Change often involves tough decisions. So it’s with a heavy heart that today we have informed our people that certain roles across parts of our organisation are sadly at risk of redundancy.”
It added that “all active and upcoming projects are unaffected.”
“We remain focused on working closely with our partners to make great games. We’re confident the changes we make over the coming weeks will help ensure Sumo is positioned to meet the needs of the video games sector in 2026 and beyond.
“For now, we recognise the impact this will have on our people and our immediate priority is supporting all those affected with care and respect throughout this difficult time.”
Founded in 2003 in Sheffield by a handful of developers, it celebrated its 20th anniversary with a headcount of 1600 across UK, Europe, India and Canada. Its titles include the likes of Outrun 2, Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, Sega Superstars Tennis and LittleBigPlanet 3.
In 2019, Chinese gaming giant Tencent took at 10% stake in the firm and two years later acquired it outright for $1.3bn (£919m).
