Report: Layoffs at Chinese developer Perfect World
Thousands could be affected at the company's offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu
Chinese company Perfect World has reportedly laid off thousands of employees.
According to Game Developer (translating a report from Chinese publication The Paper), the firm has made extensive cuts across its offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.
Most departments were reportedly impacted, apart from its esports segment.
Concerning its games currently in development, conflicting reports have emerged: The Paper said both One-Punch Man: World and Perfect New World are still being developed, while Pandaily reported that they've been "suspended."
Perfect World is known for being a developer and publisher, as well as the exclusive distributor of Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 in China. It has a film production company as well.
Several publications have reported that it had recently experienced a sharp decline in revenue, as per its annual financial report, with net profit dropping 64% year-on-year.
Perfect World sold the publishing branch of its European subsidiary to Embracer in December 2021, which was then renamed to Gearbox Publishing in April 2022.
The firm was hit by layoffs last year, alongside many other Embracer studios, and its San Francisco office was renamed again in April 2024, to Arc Games.