Tripwire Interactive has laid off 36 employees, the Killing Floor 3 developer confirmed on Nov 9. It is the second round of job cuts at the studio this year, bringing the total number of publicly announced layoffs in 2026 to 59 so far.
Tripwire confirmed the cuts in a statement posted on X and LinkedIn on Nov 9. The studio called the decision “not an easy decision” but a necessary one, and said the employees affected will be supported through the transition. Tripwire did not give a reason for the cuts or say which departments were affected.
Second round of cuts in 2026
This is not the first time Tripwire has cut jobs this year. In March, the studio laid off 23 employees, saying at the time that the cuts were needed to “align with business realities.” Combined with the 36 jobs cut today, Tripwire has now let go of 59 people in 2026.
Tripwire has been owned by Embracer Group since 2022. The studio is best known for the Killing Floor series and the shark action RPG Maneater, and it also publishes third party games under its Tripwire Presents label.
What it means for Maneater 2 and Killing Floor 3
For players, the immediate question is what the cuts mean for Tripwire’s games. According to the studio, nothing changes for now. Tripwire said its team remains focused on its internal projects, including active development of Maneater 2, ongoing work on Killing Floor 3, and publishing efforts under the Tripwire Presents label.
Maneater 2, the sequel to the 2020 shark RPG, is still planned for release in 2027, with no official release date yet. There is no reported effect on its development. The sequel continues the shark action RPG series Tripwire started with 2020’s Maneater. Killing Floor 3, which launched in July 2025, continues to receive post-launch support.
Killing Floor 3 itself had a rough road to launch. Tripwire delayed the game in March 2025 after closed beta feedback showed the team had, in its own words, missed the mark, then launched it in July 2025. The game has received post-launch support since, and Tripwire says that work continues.
That is the message Tripwire is sending: the studio is smaller, but its projects continue. The open question is whether a second round of cuts in one year affects the pace of that work, and Tripwire has said nothing about that so far.
A tough year for game studios
Tripwire is not the only studio cutting jobs today. Skydance laid off staff in its games division on Nov 9 after its acquisition of Warner Bros. Games, and the cuts keep coming across the industry in 2026. In October, Samson developer Liquid Swords was declared bankrupt and put up for sale. The cuts also come less than a week after Tripwire expanded its publishing business.
For Tripwire, the test now is whether Maneater 2 can reach its 2027 window with a smaller team. We will update this story if Tripwire shares more detail.
