Rumor: Union warns DON'T NOD cuts could leave its Paris project understaffed

French games workers’ union STJV warns that DON’T NOD’s proposed cuts could leave its remaining Paris project, P14, without the staff needed to finish it. In an October 27 statement, the union lists roles it says would be eliminated. The company has not confirmed that departmental breakdown.

The union’s warning

STJV says the plan would remove all six animator roles and 18 of 22 programmer roles, alongside cuts elsewhere. It argues that P14’s scope has not been reduced to match, and says management plans to rely more heavily on outsourcing.

For people following the original Life is Strange developer, the issue is whether a game already in production would have the team to reach completion. This is not an announcement that P14 has been canceled or the studio is closing, nor confirmation that the proposed dismissals have happened.

It is hard to separate a game’s future from the people who are supposed to build it.

What DON’T NOD has confirmed

In its October 20 release, DON’T NOD confirmed the opening of safeguard proceedings intended to preserve operations and support a financing solution. Its transformation plan could affect up to 85 positions in France and would focus French operations on one production line. The company said the plan would not affect its Montreal studio’s activity.

That provides official context for the restructuring, but does not confirm the union’s assessment of the team that would remain on P14.

The next steps

According to STJV, employee representatives are due to issue their consultation opinion on November 3. The regional authority would then consider the plan; if accepted, dismissal letters could arrive on November 25. Those are conditional dates supplied by the union, with the decision on the plan still ahead.