Norwegian game publisher Funcom has announced job cuts, leading to the closure of The Outsiders, the studio behind Metal: Hellsinger. This game, released in 2022, distinguished itself with a unique FPS design that drew heavily from Doom, coupled with a powerful heavy metal soundtrack. Continual updates and DLC were released after launch.

The parent company Funcom is currently facing a paradox. Although their recent title, Dune: Awakening, sold a million copies in just two weeks, they have initiated layoffs within the development team. This restructuring comes as the game transitions to live service maintenance, impacting The Outsiders team significantly.

Funcom Closes Metal: Hellsinger Studio The Outsiders

Continued layoffs have touched various departments beyond Dune: Awakening. On Bluesky, David Goldfarb, the creative director of The Outsiders, shared the news of the total shutdown of the Metal: Hellsinger team. He expressed a desire for guidance on how their staff could continue moving forward, stating, “…we are not giving up, and we are going to try to continue on in some new form… Change is always tough and right now we are all hurting.” Metal: Hellsinger

The Outsiders was founded in 2015 by former developers from EA and Battlefield. However, Metal: Hellsinger was their sole release, as they had to cancel a previous project named Darkborn in 2020. Despite being largely viewed as a support studio for Dune: Awakening, the reasons behind the layoffs remain unclear. Currently, questions remain if they were also brainstorming a new title or focusing solely on supporting the Dune project at the time of their shutdown.