Skydance mandates five-day office return, offers voluntary buyouts
CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz announced the policy in an internal email as Skydance restructures its merged game studios.
Skydance has imposed a five-day in-office policy across the entire company and is offering voluntary buyouts to staff, according to Eurogamer. The buyouts were described internally as a one-time offer.
CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz announced the return-to-office policy in an internal email. The company did not specify which teams are eligible for the voluntary buyout.
The policy covers a company that now includes game studios formerly under Paramount and Warner Bros., among them NetherRealm Studios, Portkey Games, Avalanche Software and Paramount Games Studios.
Earlier in October 2026, the company was formed after Paramount's $110bn acquisition of Warner Bros., with a new board that included Tony Blair, Laurene Powell and Bobby Kotick.
The announcement follows a week in which Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees, about 25 percent of its staff, amid Xbox layoffs and an AI push.
Quick answers
What did Skydance announce?
A five-day in-office policy across the whole company and a voluntary buyout programme described internally as a one-time offer.
Who announced the return-to-office policy?
CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz, in an internal email.
Which game studios are affected?
Skydance now includes studios formerly under Paramount and Warner Bros., including NetherRealm Studios, Portkey Games, Avalanche Software and Paramount Games Studios. The company did not specify which teams are eligible for the buyout.