As reported by Game Developer, The Chinese Room, developer of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, has obtained its independence from Sumo Digital but has also laid off an undisclosed number of employees, resulting in their workforce shrinking to 55.

This management buyout was facilitated by venture capital investments, coming on the heels of Sumo Digital’s decision to move away from developing its own games to focus on co-developing or assisting other studios with their projects. The studio head, Ed Daly, noted that The Chinese Room will continue to develop its own titles.

Given Sumo’s recent transition, which included layoffs just last month at The Chinese Room, this parting with the publisher seems logical to ensure the studio’s sustainability. Known for their unique, exploration-focused first-person games such as Dear Esther, they aim to maintain their creative identity amid industry shifts.

In managing this transition, Ed stated that the layoffs were unfortunate but necessary. “Following the divestment process a number of roles were regrettably made redundant,” The Chinese Room indicated. “The specifics are confidential, but the studio currently has 55 developers. No more layoffs are planned as the studio progresses.”

The Chinese Room is still set to release the much-anticipated Bloodlines 2 this October, with early previews surpassing expectations.