Schell Games Cuts 49 Jobs in Layoffs

The Pittsburgh studio behind I Expect You To Die made the October cuts after its first layoffs in 24 years in August.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Job Search

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Schell Games, a Pittsburgh game studio, cut 49 staff in October 2026. The cuts follow its first layoffs in 24 years, made in August, which left the studio with roughly 125 employees.

Why it matters

The reductions show the strain facing game developers as the industry contracts and studios shift away from headset VR. For Pittsburgh, a local studio cutting staff this deeply affects the city's creative tech workforce.

Schell Games' headset VR share of projects fell from about 80% to about 30% by August 2026, before the 49 October cuts. The studio has not said whether further reductions are planned.

The players

Schell Games

A Pittsburgh video game studio known for the party game Among Us 3D partnership and the horror title I Expect You To Die, which it has developed in recent years.

The details

Schell Games announced the October cuts in a LinkedIn statement, saying they were necessary to secure the studio's long-term future. Among those let go was Ashley Godbold, and the August round reached marketing, art, design and visual effects teams.

August 2026: Schell Games made its first layoffs in 24 years, leaving roughly 125 staff.
October 2026: Schell Games cut 49 jobs.

Industry Context

Schell Games' cuts fit within the ASGC Games Industry Layoffs Tracker's projection of 13,077 game industry layoffs for 2026. The studio's shift away from headset VR, once 80% of its projects, mirrors a broader retreat from that hardware market.

Workers in Pittsburgh's game industry face a tighter job market after 49 cuts at Schell Games and the earlier closure of Polyarc, which affected 29 employees. Job seekers in the field may find fewer openings as studios consolidate.

The takeaway

Game studios cutting staff often signal a shift in strategy rather than a single bad quarter. Job seekers in this sector may benefit from tracking studio project pipelines and adjacent creative roles.