Telltale Games is on the verge of shutting down, with a recent statement from the company confirming the heartbreaking news. The only “good” news can be found in some rumors that The Walking Dead Final Season will still be finished — not canceled — if Telltale shuts down. At least the sad rumors have a silver lining. Telltale hasn’t confirmed this yet, though, so keep your fingers crossed. (By the way, if you never played Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead, you have to experience it. Here’s where you can buy it on Amazon.)
Lots of sites, like US Gamer and The Verge, were reporting that Telltale Games was laying off a lot of people earlier today, and those rumors ended up being true. The studio only retained a small skeleton team of 25 people. Sources also told The Verge that employees who were let go today weren’t given any severance.
In a statement, the company said: “Today Telltale Games made the difficult decision to begin a majority studio closure following a year marked by insurmountable challenges. A majority of the company’s employees were dismissed earlier this morning, with a small group of 25 employees staying on to fulfill the company’s obligations to its board and partners…”
— Telltale Games (@telltalegames) September 21, 2018
Meanwhile, Telltale just released the final season of its The Walking Dead game this month. The second episode is supposed to launch next week. It’s unclear what’s happening with the game, except for hopeful rumors that say the skeleton crew is sticking around so the game will be finished.
Us Gamer reported today that an anonymous source familiar with the company had said the skeleton crew would finish this last season of The Walking Dead, but season 2 of The Wolf Among Us was canceled.
I'm told that Telltale is keeping a skeleton crew to finish The Walking Dead Final Season but The Wolf Among Us 2 and Stranger Things are effectively cancelled. Developing.https://t.co/dgEGaUwyhE
— Matt Kim (@LawofTD) September 21, 2018
To clarify: Telltale is keeping a tiny crew on to finish the final season of The Walking Dead, but that’s it
— Hirun! @ EGX (@HirunCryer) September 21, 2018
You can read a sad note left by Kevin Bruner, co-founder of Telltale, here.
You can also read sad tweets from Telltale Games employees who just lost their jobs. Some are posting with the hashtag #TelltaleJobs, but gaming companies are also posting with the hashtag, sharing job opportunities they might be interested in.
If anybody is looking for a cinematics artist I just got let go from Telltale Games, please let me know! #Telltalejobs
— AngrooG (@aktheneroth) September 21, 2018
So right now, we know that the rumors are saying that The Walking Dead Telltale Game might be finishing its final season, but this has not been confirmed yet by Telltale Games themselves. We’re all waiting, holding our breaths, and hoping for the best for the people who lost their jobs today.
In the meantime, fans are mourning.
https://twitter.com/Markville123/status/1043266710726496256
I'm so sad to hear about Telltale shutting down. Telltale Walking Dead has been one of the best stories I could ever experience. I've never been so emotionally invested in a character until Lee and Clementine.
— 8bit (@8bitkevin) September 21, 2018
Terribly sorry to hear about the closing of Telltale Games. The Walking Dead: Season 1 was the first time I connected emotionally with a game, and I've been a loyal supporter ever since. Best of luck to all affected. <3 pic.twitter.com/SMBfk9uKa5
— Collin Geffrey (@Nostalgianator) September 21, 2018
I'm really sad about Telltale. Their games had such amazing storytelling. The Walking Dead games were incredible and I was also looking forward to season 2 of Game of Thrones. I hope they all get hired quickly by other companies.
— (((Jason Rector))) (@jasonrector) September 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/Timathedork/status/1043266030880075777
In other post-apoc news, it also looks like Season 2 of Game of Thrones on Telltale Games won’t be happening. 🙁
What did you think about The Walking Dead on Telltale Games?
(By the way, if you never played Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead, you have to experience it. Here’s where you can buy it on Amazon.)