God of War Director Calls on Telltale Games to Pay Their Developers Severance
The recent and sudden shutdown of Telltale Games has left hundreds of developers and staff jobless. In the wake of the announcement, numerous other studios have offered their support. Some have even begun calling for developers to contact them for work. Santa Monica Studios is one such company. Now Cory Barlog, the God of War director, has weighed in on the matter. He has called on Telltale Games to pay their staff the severance that they have been denied.
God of War Director’s Hopes for Telltale Games
Telltale Games posted a message on Twitter yesterday which seemed to indicate that the studio’s situation may have changed somewhat. The studio had initially laid-off all but a small team of around twenty-five developers and cancelled all of its planned projects. That remaining team would complete a project which is part of an ongoing commitment, and would also close after that. The studio’s CEO said in a statement that the studio had recently released some of its best work. However, he admitted that their quality and high review scores had not translated into sales. Now, this new message indicates that possible partners have offered support to help the studio finish the final planned season of the Walking Dead; “we can’t make any promises today,” says the update; “we are actively working towards a solution that will allow episodes 3 and 4 to be completed and released in some form.”
I would hope this means that you will first pay your entire team their severance, and then proceed to finish the final episodes. I would be fine waiting however long it took to ensure we first treated those who worked so hard with the humanity and respect they deserve.❤️
— Cory Barlog 🎮 🏳️🌈 Should be writing! (@corybarlog) September 25, 2018
In response to the message, Cory Barlog gave his own thoughts on the matter. The God of War director rightly points out that the studio’s first priority ought to be paying their laid-off staff their severance. When Telltale Games announced its shutdown, over two-hundred developers and staff lost their jobs. Moreover, they were told that they wouldn’t be receiving severance pay. Many have been left in precarious positions as a result. Barlog’s words surely echo the sentiments of many of the studio’s fans; “I would be fine waiting however long it took to ensure we first treated those who worked so hard with the humanity and respect they deserve.”