Auroch Digital enters redundancy consultation affecting a quarter of staff

Auroch Digital has begun a redundancy consultation affecting around a quarter of its staff. The Bristol-based studio announced the move in a LinkedIn post, framing it as a restructuring to manage a "turbulent and uncertain time" for the games industry.

The studio did not give an exact headcount. A quarter of staff suggests a significant cut for a team that shipped two titles in the past year. Auroch said its priority now is supporting affected employees through the consultation process and reducing the impact of the changes.

The studio also asked other developers to consider hiring the staff it may lose. That request circulated on LinkedIn before the original posts announcing the layoffs were removed. PocketGamer.biz has contacted Auroch Digital for clarification on the layoffs.

What did the studio say?

Auroch paired the cut with praise for its recent output. "Over the past year our colleagues have delivered amazing games like Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 and Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! to wonderful reception from our players," the studio said.

It then drew a line between creative success and commercial pressure. "Despite that creative success, the same market conditions that have challenged so many of our fellow developers have now also affected us. Consequently, we have made the decision to restructure the studio to work through a turbulent and uncertain time in our industry."

Auroch said it was proud of its staff and apologised for the situation.

What does this change for the studio's ownership and strategy?

The restructuring comes shortly after a change of owner. Roundtable Interactive acquired Auroch Digital from Sumo Digital last year. Sumo had bought the Bristol studio in 2021 for $8.3 million. Tencent then acquired Sumo Group itself in 2022. Auroch has therefore passed through three corporate structures in roughly four years before reaching this consultation.

The studio's recent direction has included a mobile push. Auroch has been bringing some of its titles to mobile, including Nitro Games' Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Boom and Warhammer Survivors. That shift toward smaller-format, free-to-play-leaning products sits alongside licensed properties from Games Workshop and the Starship Troopers IP.

Why the deleted posts matter

The removal of the original LinkedIn announcements adds ambiguity to the situation. It is not clear whether the posts came down because details changed, because the consultation terms shifted, or for internal reasons. The consultation process itself, under UK employment rules, precedes any final job losses. The affected employees therefore retain a formal window before outcomes are fixed.

What does this change for Auroch's teams? Roughly one in four roles are now under review at a studio that just shipped two well-received games. The case mirrors the wider pattern across UK development: strong releases no longer guarantee stable headcount when publisher spending and market conditions tighten.

Watch for Auroch's clarification on numbers and timelines, and for whether the consultation concludes with compulsory redundancies or redeployment.