Don't Nod Union Says Most Dev Roles Cut, P14 Outsourced

Don't Nod, the Paris studio behind Life is Strange and Vampyr, plans to cut almost all of its non-manager roles and to finish its last game in development, codenamed P14, with outside contractors. That is according to the studio's section of the French video game workers' union STJV, which published the details on 27 October 2026.

The job cuts come while Don't Nod is under safeguard proceedings, a French court process that freezes a company's existing debts while it reorganises. The Paris economic activities court opened it on 19 October 2026, the company said. If the job plan is approved, the union says dismissal letters could go out from 25 November.

What the union says

• Most production roles go: according to the STJV, the plan cuts all 6 animators, all 3 character artists, all 3 concept artists, 18 of 22 programmers, 8 of 10 environment artists, 4 of 8 game designers and all 6 associate producers, among others.

• P14 keeps its scope: the union says the game has not been scaled back and occupies about 100 people. Team leads would stay on to manage contractors and take on production work themselves. The STJV calls the plan unworkable.

• Legal minimum terms: it says management will give only the legal minimum severance and refused a voluntary departure scheme, saying the company's cash could not cover the time such a scheme takes.

• Unilateral plan: it says management ended negotiations and will send its own plan to the regional labour authority (DRIEETS) for approval. The works council gives its opinion on 3 November, and the authority then has 21 days to decide.

The union also says the company has not paid its social security contributions to URSSAF since July. Don't Nod has not commented on that claim, and NextPlayIntel found no public response from the studio to the union's post at the time of publishing.

What Don't Nod has confirmed

In its 20 October results, Don't Nod said that on 1 September it proposed a restructuring that could affect up to 85 jobs in France and focus the Paris studio on a single production line. It said its Montreal studio is not affected. Montreal is making a narrative game based on a major Netflix property.

Source: Don't Nod H1 2026 results, 20 Oct 2026. The figures were not audited.

The company said Aphelion, released in April 2026, sold below expectations. It added that P14's costs were not capitalised because its funding is not yet secured, despite interest. It also warned that its ability to keep operating beyond 31 January 2027 depends on new outside financing. The court appointed SELARL Détroit as administrator, with an initial six-month observation period.

What is still unconfirmed

• What P14 is. Don't Nod has not announced its genre, platforms or release window.

• The final number of job cuts. Don't Nod's figure is up to 85 in France, and the union's role counts come from the current draft.

• Whether the labour authority approves the plan, and whether Don't Nod secures new financing.