Key Notes
- Gravity Well has laid off more than 40 developers after losing funding over the summer and failing to secure a new partner.
- The studio founded by Respawn veterans Drew McCoy and Jon Shiring will keep operating with a much smaller team, although its future remains uncertain.
- Management has not announced a closure or disclosed a new funding agreement, game title or release timetable.
Gravity Well has laid off more than 40 developers, representing the majority of its workforce, after losing funding over the summer. The independent studio founded by Respawn Entertainment veterans Drew McCoy and Jon Shiring says it will continue operating with a much smaller team while seeking a way to survive.
The studio’s October 6 announcement said it had searched for a new partner without securing replacement funding. Management described the company’s future as uncertain, leaving its first project and the remaining team facing an unresolved financing situation.
Funding Search Leads to Major Staff Cuts
Gravity Well said employees had been kept informed as the funding search unfolded and understood that layoffs were possible. The team stayed in place while management tried to find a solution before the available money ran out.
The message, also shared on LinkedIn, was signed by McCoy, Shiring and chief operating officer Mon Saetern. They asked other developers to consider affected staff for vacancies, stressing that the cuts did not reflect their abilities.
The announcement identifies the loss of funding as the immediate problem but does not name the former backer, explain why financing ended or announce a replacement agreement.
Respawn Veterans Built the Studio Around Smaller AAA Teams
McCoy and Shiring announced Gravity Well in May 2020 after a decade at Respawn. McCoy had been executive producer on Apex Legends and senior producer on Titanfall 2, while Shiring held senior programming roles across those games and the original Titanfall.
Their founding pitch centered on making ambitious games with a more manageable organization. Shiring outlined a target of 80–85 people at peak and argued that teams become slower and more compartmentalized once they grow beyond 100. The founders also emphasized room to experiment with new ideas.
That original staffing target was a plan for the studio’s development, rather than a verified headcount immediately before these layoffs. Gravity Well has not disclosed exactly how many people remain.
The studio’s website continues to describe its independent AAA ambitions and a workplace built around avoiding crunch, flexible working arrangements and significant profit sharing for developers. Its leadership credits span Apex Legends, Titanfall and Modern Warfare, while the wider roster includes experience in art, animation, engineering, audio and narrative.
A Smaller Team Faces an Uncertain Future
Gravity Well’s statement commits the remaining group to continuing its “fight for survival.” It does not announce a closure or provide a revised development schedule, game title or launch window.
For players familiar with the founders’ previous work, those credits offer background on the team rather than confirmation of what its debut game will be. Nothing in the announcement establishes a genre, supported platforms or a release date.
We also reported on employees describing layoffs at Eternal Strands developer Yellow Brick Games. The cause and total there remained unconfirmed, whereas Gravity Well has directly identified both a funding shortfall and the loss of most of its team.
