Antstream Arcade conducts 'small' layoffs in 'strategic shift in focus'

British company Antstream laid off a "small amount" of staff working on its retro game platform, Antstream Arcade.

In a statement to GamesIndustry, Antstream attributed the reductions to a "strategic shift in focus internally." The statement came days after former PR manager Diane Hutchinson and UI designer Robyn Jamieson revealed they were impacted.

"This decision was not made lightly," it wrote, "and we will be working to support those affected throughout the process. Antstream Arcade remains dedicated to delivering the best possible experience to our players."

Antstream Arcade first launched in 2019 after the company was founded in 2013 by Steve Cottam. The cloud-based service consists of games from older consoles like the NES, Atari 2600, and original PlayStation.

Both Tencent and Atari previously invested money into the platform, which is available on computers, Android, and various smart TVs. In July 2023, it came to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S as the console's first third-party cloud service.

Antstream's layoffs were preceded by reductions at Nexon America and Smite creator Hi-Rez Studios days earlier. This week also saw the closure of Studio Black Flag, the team behind the upcoming survival game Orphan Age.

More staff cuts are also on the horizon in the game industry. XR Games and Sharkmob said they are each undergoing consultations to determine if more workers will be laid off.