Unity, the popular game engine software company, has been hit with another round of layoffs, marking the latest in a series of struggles the company has faced over the past two years. According to reports, employees were notified via email as early as 5 AM local time, with multiple teams affected, including the entire Behavior department, which was responsible for building tools that assisted in NPC scripting.

The exact number of employees impacted by the layoffs is currently unclear. However, this latest round of job cuts comes on the heels of several previous layoffs, including a significant reduction of 25% of its workforce, or around 1,800 employees, in January 2024. Additionally, in November 2023, Unity closed several office locations and cut 265 jobs.

One of the key factors contributing to Unity's ongoing struggles was the company's disastrous deployment of its Runtime fee. Initially intended to charge developers a small fee for every download of a Unity game, the fee was met with widespread criticism from prominent indie developers, who voiced their concerns on social media and even threatened to boycott the software. The fallout ultimately led to Unity revamping the runtime fee and resulted in CEO John Riccitiello's retirement less than a month after the runtime announcement.

The latest layoffs are likely a continuation of Unity's efforts to restructure and adapt to the changing gaming landscape. Despite these challenges, the company has been working to turn things around, as evidenced by its latest game engine release. Unity has also made significant hires, including the addition of Major Nelson, a veteran of the gaming industry.

The impact of these layoffs on the gaming industry as a whole remains to be seen. However, it is clear that Unity's ongoing struggles are a significant concern for developers and gamers alike. As the company continues to navigate these challenges, it will be important to monitor its progress and assess the implications for the broader gaming ecosystem.

Unity has been reached out to for comment, but at the time of writing, no official statement has been issued. As more information becomes available, this story will be updated to provide further context and analysis.