Almost side-by-side with the release of surprise Still Wakes the Deep expansion Siren's Rest, it appears that developer The Chinese Room has laid off an unknown number of employees. The cuts will apparently not have an impact on the schedule of the studio's current project, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, however, as publisher Paradox Interactive says it remains on track for October.
The layoffs came to light by way of messages posted on LinkedIn (via Game Developer) by a number of former employees. "The scourge of redundancy has struck, and so I'm looking for new opportunities," VFX artist Jamie Berry wrote in one. In another, technical producer Pascal Siddons wrote, "We are none of us safe from the headsman's axe when redundancy time comes around."
3D animator Bradley Adams wrote in his own post, "My current role and many others have been affected by recent events and so I am seeking a new opportunity." Senior environment artist Adam Sharp also referred to "many others" in his own identically-worded post about being laid off.
The layoffs may be the result of ongoing struggles at Sumo Digital, which acquired The Chinese Room in 2018. In June 2024, Sumo Group laid off 15% of its workforce and closed Timbre Games, and then in February 2025 it announced a "strategic decision to focus Sumo Digital exclusively on development services for partners," which it warned "would have an impact on our studios and people." One of the employees posting about being laid off, Callum Munro, was a senior technical support at Sumo Group, a position that included providing on-site support for The Chinese Room.
The cuts are especially alarming given that they come amidst The Chinese Room's efforts to finish Bloodlines 2, which it's been working on since 2021 when it took over development from Hardsuit Labs. It has not gone entirely smoothly since: A recent preview had PC Gamer's Fraser Brown feeling good about where the game is headed, but it's also been delayed multiple times, most recently in March, when it was moved back from summer to October 2025.
Neither The Chinese Room nor Sumo Digital have publicly commented on the layoffs. In a statement shared with PC Gamer, however, Bloodlines 2 publisher Paradox Interactive effectively confirmed that some cuts have taken place, saying that it will not have an impact on the game's release.
"Development on Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is unaffected by the recent staffing changes at The Chinese Room; the game is still scheduled for an October release," a Paradox representative said. "We wish those affected the best of luck on their future endeavors."
Even though October is now just four months away, a specific release date still hasn't been announced.
