Canadian video game studio Relic Entertainment cutting 121 employees

Dozens of jobs are on the chopping block at Relic Entertainment (Relic), as the Vancouver-based video game studio restructures its business.

In a Twitter post on May 23, the company, owned by Sega Corporation (SEGA), announced that it was eliminating 121 jobs to “ensure maximum focus is placed on our core franchises.”

An announcement from Relic Entertainment. pic.twitter.com/EITW2tbG7w

— Relic Entertainment (@relicgames) May 23, 2023

“Relic and SEGA remain fully committed to supporting and investing in our titles, including the recently released Company of Heroes 3,” the statement reads.

“We’re confident that following this necessary restructuring, Relic will be in a position of strength to continue delivering outstanding experiences to players all over the world.”

Relic didn’t disclose which employees will be affected by the latest reduction. Some users on Twitter asked if the cuts will affect senior executives as well as developers, artists, and customer service representatives.

According to LinkedIn, the company employs more than 280 people in Canada. In addition to British Columbia, Relic has staff in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec.

Major tech layoffs continue

Relic joins the growing list of North American tech companies that have announced sweeping layoffs in 2023.

Several big names, including Meta, Shopify, LinkedIn, Unity Software, Dropbox, and Electronic Arts, are significantly scaling back their staffing levels as they continue to navigate challenging economic conditions.

SEE ALSO
• Lyft CEO slashing jobs as ride-sharing company struggles
• Employment lawyer on recent tech layoffs and severance
• Layoffs in Canada

Termination agreements for Relic Entertainment staff

In Canada, non-unionized employees at Relic are owed full severance pay when they lose their jobs due to downsizing or corporate restructuring.

This includes individuals working full-time, part-time, or hourly in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C.

Severance can be as much as 24 months’ pay, depending on a number of factors.

LEARN MORE
• Severance for technology industry employees
• Severance for provincially regulated employees
• Severance packages in mass layoffs

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains why you are still owed severance if you have been downsized on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Before you accept any severance offer, have an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP review it and your employment contract.

We can tell you if what you have been provided is fair and how to get proper severance if it falls short of what you are actually owed.

If you don’t receive the full amount, which happens often, you have been wrongfully dismissed and are entitled to compensation.

In some cases, employers pressure staff into accepting poor severance packages, such as imposing a deadline for accepting the offer.

Non-unionized employees in Canada have up to two years from the date of their dismissal to pursue a claim for full severance pay.