Don’t Nod is considering up to 90 job cuts in France as the Life is Strange developer changes its business model, and says it may not continue beyond 31 January 2027 without new funding. The company’s official site lists its current games and studios.
The proposed Don’t Nod layoffs are part of a plan to refocus the French operation around a single production line. Don’t Nod says the change is intended to keep projects moving while concentrating staff on priority work. The company is known for Life is Strange, Lost Records and Aphelion, although the Life is Strange franchise is now handled by other studios.
Don’t Nod layoffs are tied to a wider funding problem
The studio’s latest financial update says cost-cutting measures have not been enough to restore its competitiveness. It points to tighter video game financing, less predictable revenue and weaker financial indicators as reasons for the change.
Don’t Nod reported consolidated gross cash of €9.8 million at the end of June 2026 and €8.0 million at the end of July, down from €15.4 million at the end of 2025. The company says it needs external financing for day-to-day operations and game development.
The update describes this as “material uncertainty regarding the company’s ability to continue as a going concern beyond January 31, 2027”. In plain financial language, the studio needs new money before then or its current plan may not be enough to keep it operating.
What happens to Life is Strange and Aphelion?
The proposed cuts do not amount to an announced closure, and Don’t Nod has not said that a specific game has been cancelled. The company says it is trying to maintain a continuous project pipeline by bringing together the staff needed to start new projects before current productions are finished.
CEO and chairman Oskar Guilbert described the measures as difficult but necessary for continued operations. Don’t Nod released Aphelion in April, while its next projects now face the same financing conditions affecting much of the games industry.
The studio’s immediate future therefore depends on two things: whether the workforce plan goes ahead, and whether it secures external funding before the end of January. Neither outcome has been confirmed.
How many jobs could Don’t Nod cut?
Don’t Nod says the proposed workforce adjustment in France could affect up to 90 positions. The cuts have been proposed as part of a wider business-model change and are not described as a completed closure plan.
Why does Don’t Nod need new funding?
The studio says its cash position has fallen while game financing has become more selective and revenue less predictable. It says external financing is needed for operations and project development.
Will Life is Strange be cancelled?
Don’t Nod has not announced a Life is Strange cancellation. The franchise is now handled by other studios, and the company’s update does not identify a specific project as cancelled.
