Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jul 29
Lightspeed LA Cuts 80 Jobs, Pivots Last Sentinel After Internal Review
Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jul 29

Lightspeed LA Cuts 80 Jobs, Pivots Last Sentinel After Internal Review

3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Jul 29

Summary

  • 80 staff will leave Lightspeed LA as the Irvine studio overhauls Last Sentinel, while keeping the sci-fi action game in development.
  • An internal review found the project was not meeting expectations, prompting a shift in development direction to deliver the experience players expect.
  • Lightspeed LA, a Tencent-owned studio launched in 2020, introduced Last Sentinel at the 2023 Game Awards as a AAA narrative game for PC and consoles.
  • Tencent has also retrenched elsewhere in games, shutting TiMi Montreal earlier this year and closing Team Kaiju in Los Angeles in 2023.
  • That pullback contrasts with Tencent's $1.25 billion investment in Ubisoft, underscoring a more selective approach to global gaming bets.

Insights

Will the massive Los Angeles motion-capture facility become a stranded asset after Lightspeed's drastic staff cuts and creative pivot?
Are extensive playtesting failures hiding a deeper financial retreat by Tencent in the volatile North American AAA gaming market?
Can a cyberpunk blockbuster survive a massive mid-development reboot, or is Last Sentinel doomed to become another costly casualty?