Hyper Light Breaker dev Heart Machine lays off unknown number of staff

Heart Machine, the US-based developer behind Hyper Light Drifter and its upcoming sequel, is the latest studio to suffer a round of layoffs.

The company confirmed to GameDeveloper it has dismissed a “portion” of its workforce, although it is unclear which departments this has affected.

Heart Machine said it will provide all impacted staff with severance and healthcare for several months, as well as promising to credit those who were laid off and honour any revenue sharing agreements.

Community and PR manager Yiyi Zhang told GameDeveloper the upcoming early access launch of Hyper Light Breaker – an open-world online rogue-lite with procedurally generated worlds – will “not be impeded” by the job cuts.

“In fact, a strong and and timely launch will rekindle opportunities for those affected as we look to evolve and grow the game throughout Early Access,” she added.

Hyper Light Breaker is expected to launch in early access in 2025. The studio’s other project, Possessor(s), is also said to be unaffected.