Mass layoffs reported at Telltale Games

Update: GamesIndustry.biz has received a statement from Telltale Games confirming that it faces a "majority studio closure" and that 25 employees will remain to "fulfill the company's obligations to its board and partners."

"It's been an incredibly difficult year for Telltale as we worked to set the company on a new course," said CEO Pete Hawley. "Unfortunately, we ran out of time trying to get there. We released some of our best content this year and received a tremendous amount of positive feedback, but ultimately, that did not translate to sales. With a heavy heart, we watch our friends leave today to spread our brand of storytelling across the games industry."

The release states that updates as to Telltale's portfolio projects will be issued in the coming weeks.

Update 2: Variety has reached out to Netflix for comment on the status of its partnership with Telltale and received the following statement from a spokesperson:

"We are saddened by the closing of Telltale games - they developed many great games in the past and left an indelible mark in the industry. 'Minecraft: Story Mode' is still moving forward as planned. We are in the process of evaluating other options for bringing the 'Stranger Things' universe to life in an interactive medium."

Original story:

A number of developers and other sources have reported that Telltale Games has laid off the majority of its workforce today.

Over the last hour, a flurry of social media posts from various Telltale veterans and now-former employees spoke of mass layoffs at the studio. Shortly after, The Verge reported the dismissals, stating that a skeleton crew of 25 would remain.

Our sister-site, USGamer, reports that their sources say laid-off employees will not receive severance pay. They have since retracted their report that the remaining 25 Telltale employees will be working on finishing The Walking Dead.