Studio behind Doom 3 VR announces layoffs

The VR gaming realm appears to be struggling to gain its footing as yet another studio experiences problems. This time around it’s Archiact which has announced it is going through layoffs.

Archiact describes itself as “one of the largest independent VR studios” and it is behind VR titles like Doom 3: VR Edition, Freedriver: Triton Down, and Marvel Dimension of Heroes. One of the latest titles it has released is Journey to Foundation which is inspired by Isaac Asimov’s series.

A reason for the layoffs was not given in the announcement, though it’s stated that it wasn’t an easy process. Archiact also asks for any fellow studios to reach out if they are hiring in numerous fields, which offers a glimpse at how many departments the layoffs affected, from Art and Animation to Engineering.

Archiact doesn’t struggle alone, as First Contact Entertainment has announced its closure. According to the developer, the closure was a product of a lack of “lack of support for VR within the industry.” This is a notable event for VR players, as the studio was one of the leaders when it comes to AAA VR experiences, as seen in titles such as Firewall Ultra.

VR continues to be a tricky platform to master, even for companies as massive as Sony. Fortunately, those who enjoy the gaming experience aren’t left without any new titles, as games like RE 4 Remake‘s VR mode and Tiger Blade continue to ensure VR libraries are never entirely empty.