The French studio Kylotonn, part of Nacon, is reportedly facing large-scale job cuts, according to the Kylotonn Union. The union says Mgmt had planned a meeting for May 6 to outline the layoffs but pushed it to May 13. Workers suspect the delay was tactical — meant to sidestep bad PR around the Nacon Connect showcase on May 7 — and many feel the company didn’t want the layoffs to overshadow that event.
In a statement, the union argues these issues didn’t appear overnight. Staffers point to long-running dysfunction: decisions from Mgmt that often miss the mark, dev processes that collapse into last-minute firefighting, and workplace conditions that have worn people down. HR complaints and whispered grievances, the union says, add up to a strained atmosphere.
Workers have begun an open-ended strike starting today; the action will run at least until May 11 or until their demands are addressed. Among those demands: an immediate halt to the planned layoffs until there’s a clear roadmap for the studio’s future, resurrecting an unannounced project so it can be pitched to other publishers and investors, and changing emp. status to give staff stronger protections and broader rights/benefits.
The union also wants a reexamination of how Kylotonn and Nacon relate to each other. Employees claim the publisher’s influence has become excessive — not just in financial decisions but in day-to-day control over the studio and its people.
For context: Kylotonn joined Nacon in 2018. The studio is perhaps best known for its racing titles under the WRC license.