Report: FuturLab lays off devs without informing team leads or managers

Chris Kerr,Senior Editor, News,GameDeveloper.com

September 8, 2026

1 Min ReadImage via FuturLab

Powerwash Simulator developer FuturLab has laid off seven employees following the cancellation of a project that had been in development for between two to three years.

Studio CEO Kirsty Rigden confirmed the news in a statement to This Week In Videogames (TWIV) and claimed the aforementioned project was scrapped during pre-production because it would have cost more to develop than it was projected to make. Rigden described the mystery title as a "non-PowerWash related project."

"This is awful as these are people who are super talented and many of whom have been with us a long time, and I really really appreciate them," she added. "This was not an easy or quick decision to make, but by making difficult decisions early we protect FuturLab in the future."

Notably, sources familiar with the situation told TWIV that workers impacted by the cancellation were left in limbo after the project was shelved in June 2026, with no work being assigned to them for weeks.

Those sources allege that FuturLab then eliminated seven employees in July without informing senior leaders. "Managers and team leads were not informed that their direct reports were going to be away or why," said one person.

FuturLab COO Chris Mehers is said to have confirmed the company had commenced a restructuring process during a meeting held in August.

Yet, in another meeting that followed, workers were reportedly told to avoid using the term 'redundancy' to describe what had happened to their colleagues. Instead, they were purportedly asked to refer to those laid off as 'the leavers.'

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About the Author

Chris Kerr

Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton.

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