Embracer Reduced Its Workforce by 1,800 Employees Last Year

Sure thing, let’s dive into the messy human side.

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So, here’s the thing—Embracer Group, big European game player, yeah? They lost, like, over 1,800 folks last year. Seriously, that’s a lot of chairs now sitting empty. I mean, it’s all in their annual report if you’re into that kind of bedtime reading, spotted by Game Developer (not me, I won’t lie).

And if you think that’s wild, they already cut about 1,400 jobs the year before. It’s like they’re on a mission to see how many ways they can change things up.

But hey, it’s not all about layoffs. They’ve been wheeling and dealing, sold off studios like Gearbox and Saber Interactive. So, some of those folks might just be clocking in elsewhere now. Bit of a mix-up, like when you find the ice cream in the fridge when you’re sure you put it in the freezer. Makes you wonder, what’s the plan here?

Rumor mill says it’s probably lining up with some kind of overhaul Embracer’s been wrestling with. Apparently, they had this mega cash deal with Savvy Group from Saudi Arabia that went kaput. Ouch, right?

Well, more shake-ups! Embracer’s splitting into three—yeah, three—public companies. Plus, shuffle the big wigs. Lars Wingefors, the founder guy, is passing the CEO baton to Phil Rogers from Square Enix. Wonder how that chat went down? Bet Lars gave Phil the ol’ “good luck, you’re gonna need it” nod.

In one of those letters, Lars was all, “Worked with Phil, great guy, gonna do fine.” Or something like that. Full-on CEO pep talk, trying to sound confident. He’s looking to dabble with strategy stuff and, you know, making sure Embracer doesn’t crash and burn while he’s executive chairman. Visionary stuff, or so they claim.

Funny thing is, Lars is all about the journey—not just the destination. Feels like they’re saying, “Yeah, it’s been bumpy, but hey, roller coasters can be fun.”

Crazy part? He’s convinced the best is yet to come. That’s some optimism if you ask me. Here’s hoping they’re not just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Anyway—wait, what was I saying? Oh yeah, change is in the air. Let’s see where it blows.