Deck Nine team laid off, missed award acceptance

Life is Strange: Double Exposure recently won the Social Impact Award at the Game Developers Conference (GDC). However, no one from the game’s team was there to accept the award. This has raised concerns about the state of the gaming industry. Elizabeth Ballou, a former narrative designer for Deck Nine, shared that many team members had been laid off. She explained that they were not aware that they were nominated for the award. "We all got laid off,” she wrote on social media, but she noted that she was happy in her new job. The Social Impact Award honors games that promote equality and social change. Life is Strange: Double Exposure competed against several other titles. Stephen Totilo, a journalist present at the event, mentioned that it was unusual for a winning game to not have anyone accept the award. This situation highlights ongoing issues within the gaming industry, including layoffs. Reports indicate that 1 in 10 game industry workers were laid off in 2024, with narrative positions being hit the hardest. Ballou later shared a photo of the award and urged others to hire those laid off from Deck Nine. This incident reflects a broader trend of challenges faced by game developers in recent years.