Annapurna Interactive reportedly sees exodus of “entire” staff as negotiations break down

Annapurna Interactive – the video game publisher behind the acclaimed likes of Outer Wilds, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Cocoon – has reportedly seen a complete exodus of staff following a dispute with the company’s owner, causing “chaos” among developer partners.

According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, around two dozen employees – including Annapurna Interactive president Nathan Gary and other executives – resigned after negotiations with Annapurna owner Megan Ellison broke down. Gary and his time had reportedly been negotiating to spin off Annapurna Interactive – Annapurna’s video-game publishing wing – as an independent entity, but ultimately failed to reach an agreement with Ellison.

Bloomberg claims the departures have caused “chaos” among Annapurna Interactive’s game developer partners – who’ve all signed deals with the publisher to secure the likes of funding, QA, and marketing – as they’ve sought reassurances about their projects’ future. However, an Annapurna spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg that all existing games and projects will remain with the company, while new president Hector Sanchez is said to have told developers all contracts will be honoured and that all Annapurna Interactive staff will be replaced.

“Our top priority is continuing to support our developer and publishing partners during this transition,” Ellison said in a statement provided to Bloomberg. “We’re committed to not only our existing slate of games but also expanding our presence in the interactive space as we continue to look for opportunities to take a more integrated approach to linear and interactive storytelling across film and TV, gaming, and theatre.”

Annapurna has already announced a broad slate of new titles set to launch over the next few years, including developer No Code’s Silent Hill: Townfall, Matt Newell’s Lushfoil Photography Sim, Beethoven & Dinosaur’s Mixtape, Messhof’s Ghost Bike, and Annapurna’s first internally developed game, Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth.