Dave Gallacher, creator of Helldivers 2, attacks Ubisoft and Embracer: harsh accusations after layoffs

The video game industry continues to go through a particularly difficult period, marked by an ever-increasing number of layoffs and corporate reorganizations. Speaking out with very harsh words was Dave Gallacher, QA Manager at Arrowhead Game Studios, the developer of Helldivers 2, who expressed his disappointment towards the major companies in the sector.

According to Gallacher, decisions made by executives at numerous companies in recent years have been primarily driven by economic interests, with heavy consequences for thousands of professionals. In a heated intervention published on LinkedIn, the manager stated that he cannot understand how the top management of Ubisoft and Embracer have not faced legal consequences, accusing them of adopting questionable practices that have harmed developers in particular.

Gallacher, who worked for about ten years at DICE before joining Arrowhead, participated in a discussion dedicated to the potential benefits of studios directly controlled by workers, considered by some to be a possible response to the wave of layoffs affecting the sector.

The position of Gallacher, QA Manager at Arrowhead Game Studios.

The manager recalled how, over the last three years, he has repeatedly stated that each new season would be a true "bloodbath" for the video game industry, adding that the situation has been steadily worsening. Among the cited examples are the approximately 3,200 jobs eliminated by Xbox, the approximately 4,000 layoffs accumulated by Ubisoft since 2022, and the extensive restructuring of Embracer, which has led to studio closures, project cancellations, and a drastic reduction in investments made in previous years.

Gallacher also criticized some CEOs who, in his view, continue to promise growth up to billions of players while investing resources in artificial intelligence rather than protecting their staff.

In his intervention, other big names in the industry were also mentioned, including Electronic Arts, which has reduced staff involved in the development of Battlefield despite the commercial success of the title, and Epic Games, which has made over a thousand layoffs after the slowdown in the growth of Fortnite. While recognizing that he still loves video games, Gallacher describes the current situation as extremely complex.