Don't Nod opens French safeguard proceedings as up to 85 jobs at risk
The French studio has entered a safeguard procedure giving it 6 to 18 months of protection from creditors while it restructures around a single production line.
Don't Nod has opened safeguard proceedings in France to shield itself from creditors while it carries out a restructuring plan that could see up to 85 employees let go, the studio said on October 20, 2026. According to pcgamer.com, the procedure gives the company an observation period of 6 to 18 months during which creditor enforcement is suspended.
The plan includes refocusing the studio's French operations around a single production line. Don't Nod said sales of its latest release, Aphelion, came in below the Group's expectations and weighed on the half-year's performance.
CEO and Chairman Oskar Guilbert said the studio's current cash position does not allow it to secure all financing requirements for its operations and projects.
Earlier warnings and a longer slump
In September 2026, Don't Nod said it might not have enough cash to get through January 2027 and that up to 90 people were at risk of being laid off. Since 2024 the studio has been struggling after Jusant and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, though well-received, sold well below expectations.
Work on two new games was put on hold and layoffs followed in 2025, despite the studio achieving significant milestones in its restructuring plan. Don't Nod developed the first two entries in the Life is Strange series and released Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.
Quick answers
What are the safeguard proceedings at Don't Nod?
They are a French procedure that suspends creditor enforcement for an observation period of 6 to 18 months while the studio restructures.
How many jobs could be cut at Don't Nod?
Don't Nod says up to 85 employees are at risk of being let go under the new restructuring plan.
Why is Don't Nod restructuring?
The studio said sales of its latest release, Aphelion, came in below the Group's expectations, and its CEO said its cash position does not cover all financing requirements.