Annapurna's mass exodus of staff "a baffler", says company spokesperson

The mass exodus of staff from hit indie game company Annapurna earlier this month has been described as "a baffler" by a company spokesperson.

The publisher - responsible for the likes of Stray, Outer Wilds, and Cocoon - saw its entire staff quit following a dispute with the company's owner that's put its future in jeopardy.

Developers working on projects with Annapurna have since reassured players they will still be able to play planned future releases, but it remains unclear how the dispute can be resolved or how Annapurna will continue with its projects. It is, however, openly hiring to replace staff.

"The whole situation is a baffler, but now we're focused on moving forward," reads a statement from an Annapurna spokesperson to IGN.

"We've had really great conversations with an overwhelming majority of our existing development teams and are grateful for their partnership. If our inbox is any indication, a ton of developers continue to want to be a part of what we're building, and we look forward to seeing their pitches. We've also had an influx of quality job applicants and are excited to build a team passionate about our mission to tell original stories that aren't being told elsewhere. P.S. We're hiring."

One project left in a precarious position is Annapurna's Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, its first in-house game. Game director Chelsea Hash appears to have left the company (per LinkedIn) and, IGN understands, all other full-time members of the development team are out. Annapurna told IGN development on the project will continue despite these departures.

So what exactly happened to cause all staff to leave at once?

As per a lengthy new report from IGN, upheaval began in mid-March 2024 when Annapurna Interactive co-founder James Masi was suddenly and unexpectedly let go. Annapurna president Nathan Gary also left the company, which Annapurna claimed was voluntary. However, sources told IGN both execs had been fired, sparking fury among staff - some even left in protest.

When Annapurna founder Megan Ellison allegedly expressed to staff the desire for all staff to stay, Masi, Gary and other staff returned and a new plan was formed: to form a new company called Verset with split ownership between Annapurna and Verset's leaders. However, staff eventually became sceptical of the plan owing to the return of Hector Sanchez (who previously left the company) to work on gaming projects without their knowledge.

This led to a deal between Remedy and Annapurna Pictures for the film and TV rights to Control and Alan Wake, reportedly without the knowledge of staff. Ellison's intent for the two companies, a spokesperson told IGN, was for Verset to deal with indie games and Sanchez to lead on AAA and transmedia projects. Sources also told IGN Ellison herself began to exercise greater control over Annapurna Interactive in a way they found uncomfortable.

The situation ultimately reached a head in August when all 25 Annapurna Interactive staff signed a joint resignation letter and provided two weeks' notice before leaving on 6th September. Reportedly, partner developers did not learn about this mass departure until a day or two before, seemingly due to a dispute over whose responsibility this was.

While the staff who left could potentially be continuing the Verset company (as per a website currently online), Annapurna has been left scrambling to replenish its workforce.

Annapurna's future projects include the likes of Mixtape from Beethoven and Dinosaur, Wanderstop from The Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden, and No Code's Silent Hill: Townfall.