Digital Extremes confirms job cuts as it closes its external projects division

Warframe studio Digital Extremes has confirmed a round of job cuts tied to the closure of its external projects division.

According to PC Gamer, the company is shutting its publishing wing and transferring control of online action game Wayfinder, which was released in early access this summer for PC and PlayStation consoles, to its developer Airship Syndicate.

“We can confirm we have made the difficult decision to cease operations of our external projects division,” a Digital Extremes spokesperson told the site.

“We have had to say goodbye to a number of hardworking and highly valuable team members as a result and we’re working with Airship to transition full control of Wayfinder to them in the coming months.”

Digital Extremes, which declined to elaborate on how many jobs are being cut, also published Human Head game Survived By in 2018.

The Tencent-owned studio announced last year that it’s developing a new MMORPG called Soulframe. It said the free-to-play fantasy game will be “heavily influenced by themes of nature, restoration, and exploration”.

Job losses across the games industry have been widespread in 2023. Companies impacted by layoffs this year include Xbox Game Studios, Epic Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment, CD Projekt, Unity, Ubisoft, Riot Games, Blizzard, Crystal Dynamics, BioWare, Striking Distance, Team17, Frontier Developments and Telltale Games.