MercurySteam, the developer of Metroid Dread, has undergone a round of layoffs.

MercurySteam is a Spanish game development studio founded by former employees of Rebel Act Studios, the team behind titles such as Severance: Blade of Darkness.

On the 13th, MercurySteam announced the restructuring via the business social platform LinkedIn. The company expressed regret over the decision and added that it would do its utmost to support its talented staff as they begin their next professional chapters.

Some suggest that the lack of a follow-up 'killer title' may have contributed to the restructuring. Critics point out that the company has had no major releases to fill the four-year gap since the 2021 launch of Metroid Dread, and that the subsequent release, Raiders of the Broken Planet (Blade of Fire), failed to gain significant traction, adding financial pressure on the studio.

MercurySteam is known for co-developing the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series with Konami, as well as Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Dread with Nintendo.