DON'T NOD Union Criticizes Restructuring Plan Targeting 85 Paris Jobs

The STJV union branch at DON'T NOD published a statement on October 27 criticizing the studio's restructuring plan and the development setup it would leave in place after layoffs, according to gamespark.jp. The plan could see up to 85 people laid off at the Paris studio.

The union branch said all 6 animators, 4 of 8 game designers, all 6 associate producers and 18 of 22 programmers are targeted for layoff. The plan does not affect the Montreal studio in Canada, which is developing a new game using a Netflix IP.

About 100 staff are working on the new title P14, whose scope has not been reduced so far, according to the statement. Management plans to greatly increase outsourcing and have the remaining team leads manage contractors while taking on the work of laid-off staff.

The CSE employee representative body is due to give its opinion on the plan on November 3. French authority DRIEETS will then decide whether to approve it, and layoff notices could reach staff as early as November 25 if approval is granted.

Months of restructuring

On September 1, 2026, DON'T NOD announced a new restructuring project, and on September 4, 2026, it said it would consolidate the Paris studio's development into a single production line and could cut up to 90 positions. On October 20, 2026, it was announced that the Paris commercial court had approved on October 19 the opening of a legal protection procedure to continue operations and secure funding. The studio developed the original Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2, as well as Vampyr and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.