Supermassive Games Delays Dark Pictures: Directive 8020 to 2026 Amidst Layoffs

SuperMassive Games has announced another round of layoffs and delayed its next game in the Dark Pictures series, Directive 8020. In a statement shared on social media, Supermassive said it is cutting staff amidst a “challenging and ever-evolving environment” in the video games industry.

“As we adapt our team structure to better meet these changes, we have had to make the difficult decision to initiate a period of consultation around redundancy, during which we anticipate losing up to 36 of our colleagues,” Supermassive said. “This decision has not been taken lightly and we know that this will be an extremely challenging time for everyone. Our absolute priority is to provide full support to those affected.”

The restructuring “does not impact” the production of Little Nightmares III, Supermassive stated, but the same cannot be said for Directive 8020.

“We remain focused on our upcoming projects and have made the decision to delay the release of Directive 8020 to the first half of 2026,” Supermassive said. “The response to the game so far has been fantastic, and this extra time will help us deliver the best possible experience for our fans. We are deeply grateful for our community’s patience and support.”

SuperMassive Games is owned by Nordisk Games, which also owns Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios.

A statement from Supermassive Games. pic.twitter.com/Vom1CSGYGs

— Supermassive Games (@SuperMGames) July 22, 2025