Amid thousands of recent video game developer layoffs, FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki reassured fans that he won’t let the same unfold at the iconic studio behind Elden Ring.
The past couple of years, despite boasting some monumental game releases like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield, have been anything but kind to many developers. From mass layoffs at EA to hundreds more at Take-Two Interactive, various companies have seen countless members of staff made redundant in 2023 and into 2024. News of such cuts is always disillusioning, to say the least, but there are still studios finding success, retaining staff, and even growing despite industry hardships.
One of those is none other than FromSoftware, the company behind Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Armored Core, and most recently Elden Ring. Speaking to PC Gamer in a recent interview, Miyazaki shared hits thoughts regarding these widespread layoffs. “Speaking to myself and this company, I want to say that this is not something I would wish on the staff at FromSoftware in a million years,” says the beloved dev. “I’m pretty sure our parent company Kadokawa understands that and shares that view.”
In fact, not only has FromSoftware remained unaffected by the consistent waves of layoffs, the company has actually grown. Since starting work on Elden Ring, the studio’s expanded so much that it’s able to comfortably develop two titles at once, as demonstrated by Armored Core 6.
Miyazaki cites late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata while sharing his thoughts on layoffs: “I think it was the old ex-president of Nintendo, Iwata-san, who said that ‘people who are afraid of losing their jobs are afraid of making good things.’ I’m paraphrasing that, but I totally share this view.” The FromSoftware dev continues, assuring fans that the corporation overseeing his own team is aware of his thoughts: “I think it’s true. And I think the people at Kadokawa, our parent company, understand that I hold this view very strongly.”
“While we can’t say 100% – we can’t say with complete certainty what the future’s going to hold for From and Kadokawa – at least as long as this company is my responsibility, that’s something I would not let happen,” Miyazaki concludes. “So hopefully our players and our fans can take a little bit of assurance from that.” I think it’s safe to say that the Souls community certainly does take comfort in knowing the mastermind devs behind their favorite games aren’t at risk – or at least, I definitely do.