Funcom Layoffs: Dune Awakening & Conan Pivot [Confirmed]

Norwegian game developer Funcom has officially initiated an internal restructuring plan that includes staff layoffs as the Tencent-owned studio pivots its entire operational footprint exclusively toward supporting Conan Exiles and the upcoming open-world survival MMO Dune: Awakening. According to verified reports from GamesIndustry.biz, long-standing chief executive Rui Casais will step down from his leadership position at the conclusion of 2024 after guiding the studio for eleven years. Scott Junior, Funcom's current Chief Product Officer, has been appointed as Casais's successor to steer the developer through this concentrated survival-genre strategy. The exact headcount of impacted workers remains unconfirmed, but internal reorganization is already underway across global offices. This strategic narrowing mirrors wider tech consolidation, comparable to recent [Ubisoft Germany Layoffs: 100 Jobs Cut Across Studios [Confirmed]](/news/ubisoft-germany-layoffs-confirmed), as major publishers eliminate experimental incubation projects to protect high-budget live-service assets. Owned by Tencent since a 2020 acquisition, Funcom is redistributing technical talent directly into Arrakis server architecture and existing Exiled Lands updates, shuttering unannounced prototypes to guarantee that Dune: Awakening launches with competitive stability, robust anti-cheat measures, and long-term retention pipelines.