Outriders Axed Over Square Enix Dispute

People Can Fly, the Polish game studio behind hits like Outriders and Gears of War: Judgment, faces further staff reductions after axing two major projects: Project Gemini and Project Bifrost.

"We've regrettably decided to halt development on both Project Gemini and Project Bifrost—official announcements have been shared with investors," CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski stated in a company release.

"Gemini's suspension stems from our publisher failing to provide contractual amendments outlining future development milestones, coupled with complete radio silence regarding their continuation plans."

"Bifrost's termination resulted from these factors plus concerning financial projections showing insufficient resources to complete production and launch."

Wojciechowski added: "This forces painful studio restructuring and team downsizing. We profoundly regret these circumstances and sincerely thank everyone impacted for their dedication."

Though Wojciechowski's statement avoids naming specific publishers, People Can Fly's official site reveals Square Enix partnered on Gemini while Bifrost was internally funded. Square Enix hasn't responded publicly.

The studio previously cut 120 jobs during last year's restructuring. Current partnerships include Krafton (Project Echo), Sony (Project Delta), and Microsoft (Gears of War: E-Day).

Their latest shipped title remains Bulletstorm VR, a next-gen remake for Meta Quest and PSVR 2 platforms.