Norwegian developer Funcom has disclosed a company-wide restructuring that will result in further layoffs and the departure of its current chief executive, Rui Casais. The move follows a strategic pivot: the studio will concentrate exclusively on sustaining its two surviving survival titles, Dune: Awakening and Conan Exiles abandoning plans for new projects.
In a statement captured by industry outlets, Casais described Dune: Awakening as “the biggest project we have ever undertaken, requiring many years of significant development resources across our studios.” He added that “moving from full production into long-term post-launch development and operations requires a different organisation.” The executive underscored that the shift “requires a different organisation,” hinting at a leaner structure better suited to ongoing service.
Why the post-launch shift matters
The survival massively multiplayer online (MMO) Dune: Awakening launched in June of last year and immediately set a sales record for the company, moving one million copies in two weeks. That rapid uptake made it the fastest-selling title in Funcom’s history. However, the game’s longer-term health proved more challenging. Player counts fell sharply in the months that followed, and the community voiced mixed feelings about the PvP arena and the faction-driven endgame, which many felt did not live up to expectations.
Funcom’s earlier round of redundancies in October of last year was already linked to the high-cost development phase of Dune: Awakening. The studio then attempted to broaden the game’s appeal last month by stripping away its MMO-centric features and adding a solo campaign and a PvE-only mode, while still keeping competitive multiplayer options. This redesign was meant to stabilize the player base, but the mixed reception persisted.
Conan Exiles receives a parallel boost
While Dune: Awakening struggled to maintain momentum, Funcom poured resources into its other flagship, Conan Exiles. This year the title received a major engine upgrade and a sizable paid expansion, aiming to rejuvenate its community and keep the game viable in the increasingly crowded survival market.
Both projects now share a single strategic outlook: support and incremental improvement rather than launching brand-new IPs. According to the studio’s chief creative officer, Joel Bylos, the company “is not ready to start a new game” and any future concepts remain “wispy thoughts in the back of our heads.”
Restructuring specifics and leadership handover
Funcom has not disclosed the exact headcount affected by the latest round of cuts. A formal press release clarified that the restructuring “begins now” and that further details will be withheld “out of respect for the employees involved.” The announcement also confirmed that, once the reorganisation concludes, Scott Junior—currently the Chief Product Officer and executive producer of Dune: Awakening—will assume the CEO role.
Casais concluded his comment with a personal pledge: “My focus now is ensuring the process is as supportive as possible for everyone affected, and to treat our colleagues with the respect and transparency they deserve.” He reiterated an earlier point that “we cannot sustain the size and structure required during peak development as we move into this next phase.” The company’s direction, therefore, hinges on a smaller, more agile team dedicated to post-launch operations for its existing survival titles.
