Update 9/18/24: A company spokesperson gave the following statement in relation to the original story:
“Yesterday, Behaviour Interactive announced the cancellation of Project T and the closure of its Midwinter studio in Seattle. This decision was taken following a diligent risk assessment from a commercial and a product perspective, which yielded unsatisfactory results. This sad news in no way reflects the talent of the team, who put a lot of energy into Project T.
“All the employees were offered to relocate to our Canadian studios, as we strongly believe in their expertise. Should they decide not to accept, they will be presented with a generous severance package. We want to thank them for all their hard work on Project T and wish them the very best for the future.”
Original story: Midwinter Entertainment, the Behaviour Interactive subsidiary behind Dead by Daylight spinoff Project T, has reportedly been shuttered.
In a statement shared yesterday, Behaviour confirmed Project T has been cancelled following a playtest and analysis that “yielded unsatisfactory results.”
Now, multiple people who worked on Project T claim Midwinter has been shut down as a result of the cancellation.
“Sadly, after nearly seven years, my time with Midwinter Entertainment has come to an abrupt end due to the studio closure,” wrote one former Midwinter developer on LinkedIn. “Midwinter has been an amazing place to work, with a group of amazingly talented, wonderful people.”
Another person who provided audio support on Project T explained that “after four years the studio I have been working with on multiple titles shut down.” They subsequently named Midwinter and called it a “great place to work.”
Notably, they also challenged Behaviour’s assessment of Project T. “One of the crazy things is that in the most recent playtest we got a 92/100 score in fun and playability—and it is being sold that the game was not liked by the players,” they added.
Behaviour’s statement doesn’t mention Midwinter but acknowledges a “number of players expressed appreciation for what they played.” Despite that positive feedback, Behaviour noted concerns about the title’s “commercial perspective.”
Behavior Interactive’s 2024 layoffs
This wouldn’t be the first time Behaviour has cut jobs in 2024. The company laid off under 3 percent of its workforce in January before making 95 people redundant in June.
Behaviour attributed those cuts to the need for a “strategic corporate change” that would allow it to focus on its “historical strengths.” The publisher recently released The Casting of Frank Stone, an interactive horror title from Supermassive Games set in the world of Dead by Daylight. It’s unclear how well it has performed.
Game Developer has reached out to Behaviour for comment.