{"id":2077045,"date":"2026-08-04T13:23:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T10:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2077045"},"modified":"2026-08-04T13:23:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T10:23:57","slug":"the-developer-behind-fifa-world-cup-which-launched-less-than-two-months-ago-has-laid-off-85-of-its-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2077045","title":{"rendered":"The developer behind Fifa World Cup &#8211; which launched less than two months ago &#8211; has laid off 85% of its staff"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/fifa-world-cup-launch-edition\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">The developer behind Fifa World Cup &#8211; which launched less than two months ago &#8211; has laid off 85% of its staff<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Mass layoffs have hit Refractor Games, as developers say their goodbyes online.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/fifa-world-cup-launch-edition_C3E2iUp.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition key art\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"fifa-world-cup-launch-edition_C3E2iUp.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"320\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Delphi Interactive \/ Refractor Games<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Connor Makar avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/tAtwiaBo_400x400.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"374\" height=\"374\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Connor Makar avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"tAtwiaBo_400x400.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"374\" height=\"374\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/connor-makar\">Connor Makar<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Staff Writer<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\n<p>Published on   <time datetime=\"2026-08-04T13:23:57+00:00\" data-auto-time-zone=\"true\" data-year=\"numeric\" data-month=\"short\" data-day=\"numeric\" data-hour=\"numeric\" data-minute=\"numeric\">Aug. 4, 2026, 1:23 p.m.<\/time>\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">\n      <a class=\"comments__link comments-bubble\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/fifa-world-cup-game-layoffs?view=comments\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n          2 comments<br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"f0ce4d62-6bc0-4ef6-b529-39aec0e383e0\" data-name=\"Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition\" title=\"Follow Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition\"><br \/>\n  Follow Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>A vast number of developers at Refractor Games, the development team responsible for Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition, have been laid off. In total, roughly 85 percent of developers at the studio have lost their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition was released on the 11th June exclusively to Netflix. It was published by Delphi Interactive, a company with credits on the recently released 007: First Light.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"FIFA World Cup - Launch Edition Coming Soon!\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2DKfNjlS1lM?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/2DKfNjlS1lM\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">FIFA World Cup &#8211; Launch Edition Coming Soon!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Here&#8217;s a trailer for Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition.<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2DKfNjlS1lM\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the past few days, affected employees took to social media like LinkedIn to share the bad news. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7489089038726049792\/\">Art director Barclay Chantel wrote<\/a>: &#8220;Well, it looks like I\u2019m back on the market looking for a job again. Delphi just pulled the plug on Refactor studios right after we shipped the FIFA World Cup game for Netflix. The entire studio was let go today so if anyone is looking for talent I can put you in contact with someone pretty awesome folks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>3D artist and motion capture expert <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7490173490441134080\/\">Joseph Civitate wrote<\/a>: &#8220;Our entire studio just got laid off at Refactor Games after releasing FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition on Netflix. Many talented hard working people including myself across all departments were let go a couple months after our game shipped, due to the funding on our next project being cancelled.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Posts like these (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7489769778430046208\/\">and others<\/a>) led some to believe that the entire studio was shuttered. It turns out this isn&#8217;t the case, though the cuts are nonetheless substantial. Gamesbeat, <a href=\"https:\/\/gamesbeat.com\/refactor-games-worked-with-delphi-on-fifa-game-for-netflix-now-the-studio-laid-off-85-of-staff\/\">speaking to studio head Nathan Burba<\/a>, confirmed with the outlet that 85 percent of the studio was let go. <a href=\"https:\/\/insider-gaming.com\/developers-fifa-world-cup-let-go-refactor-games\/\">Insider Gaming reported that around 80 staff were fired in total<\/a>, and this was due to funding being pulled, though Burma &#8220;did not elaborate&#8221; on his message when speaking to Gamesbeat.<\/p>\n<p>Eurogamer has contacted Fifa and Delphi for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>A vast number of developers at Refractor Games, the development team responsible for Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition, have been laid off. In total, roughly 85 percent of developers at the studio have lost their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition was released on the 11th June exclusively to Netflix. It was published by Delphi Interactive, a company with credits on the recently released 007: First Light.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"FIFA World Cup - Launch Edition Coming Soon!\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2DKfNjlS1lM?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/2DKfNjlS1lM\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">FIFA World Cup &#8211; Launch Edition Coming Soon!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Here&#8217;s a trailer for Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition.<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2DKfNjlS1lM\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the past few days, affected employees took to social media like LinkedIn to share the bad news. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7489089038726049792\/\">Art director Barclay Chantel wrote<\/a>: &#8220;Well, it looks like I\u2019m back on the market looking for a job again. Delphi just pulled the plug on Refactor studios right after we shipped the FIFA World Cup game for Netflix. The entire studio was let go today so if anyone is looking for talent I can put you in contact with someone pretty awesome folks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>3D artist and motion capture expert <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7490173490441134080\/\">Joseph Civitate wrote<\/a>: &#8220;Our entire studio just got laid off at Refactor Games after releasing FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition on Netflix. Many talented hard working people including myself across all departments were let go a couple months after our game shipped, due to the funding on our next project being cancelled.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Posts like these (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7489769778430046208\/\">and others<\/a>) led some to believe that the entire studio was shuttered. It turns out this isn&#8217;t the case, though the cuts are nonetheless substantial. Gamesbeat, <a href=\"https:\/\/gamesbeat.com\/refactor-games-worked-with-delphi-on-fifa-game-for-netflix-now-the-studio-laid-off-85-of-staff\/\">speaking to studio head Nathan Burba<\/a>, confirmed with the outlet that 85 percent of the studio was let go. <a href=\"https:\/\/insider-gaming.com\/developers-fifa-world-cup-let-go-refactor-games\/\">Insider Gaming reported that around 80 staff were fired in total<\/a>, and this was due to funding being pulled, though Burma &#8220;did not elaborate&#8221; on his message when speaking to Gamesbeat.<\/p>\n<p>Eurogamer has contacted Fifa and Delphi for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition The developer behind Fifa World Cup &#8211; which launched less than two months ago &#8211; has laid off 85% of its staff Mass layoffs have hit Refractor Games, as developers say their goodbyes online. Image credit: Delphi Interactive \/ Refractor Games News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-2077045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2077045","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2077045"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2077045\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2077045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2077045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2077045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}