The Outsiders, the acclaimed studio behind the rhythm-based first-person shooter Metal: Hellsinger, has officially shut down following a new round of layoffs at its parent company, Funcom. 
The closure marks the end of a decade-long journey for a team known for its creativity, persistence, and resilience in the face of past challenges.
David Goldfarb, the studio’s creative director and co-founder, confirmed the heartbreaking news on X (formerly Twitter), stating that both The Outsiders and Funcom’s Stockholm branch had been affected. “I haven’t had much time to process this,” Goldfarb wrote, “but our 10-year-old studio will be closing. Many of us have survived near-death experiences before, including when our game Darkborn was canceled. Out of that, Metal: Hellsinger was born, and it will always be one of my proudest achievements.”
Goldfarb’s message reflected both gratitude and exhaustion. He expressed deep appreciation for the team’s loyalty and passion, crediting their determination for turning a canceled project into one of the most distinctive shooters of the past decade. “We had hoped to do something even greater this time,” he added. “Things don’t always go the way you hope, but we’re not giving up. We’re going to try to continue in some new form.”
He also appealed to the broader gaming community for support, asking for help with job placements, business opportunities, and industry connections for displaced staff. “Change is always tough, and right now we are all hurting,” he wrote. On LinkedIn, Goldfarb admitted that even writing the announcement was difficult: “It sucked to write this. I was afraid to press post because it makes it real. Oh well.”
The Outsiders’ story is one of endurance. Founded in 2015, the studio spent six years as an independent developer before being acquired by Funcom in 2021. During that time, they earned critical praise for blending fast-paced FPS gameplay with heavy metal music in Metal: Hellsinger, which stood out for its originality and intense rhythm mechanics. Fans and critics alike saw it as a rare experiment that successfully united musical timing with shooter precision.
According to The Outsiders’ official website, the team employed about 30 people in Sweden. The full extent of the layoffs at Funcom remains unclear, but reports suggest that Funcom’s Stockholm division was heavily impacted. Funcom’s public statement described the cuts as part of an internal restructuring tied to its upcoming survival MMO, Dune: Awakening – a project Funcom calls “the biggest release in our 32-year history.”
The publisher explained that as development shifted from pre-launch production to post-launch maintenance and content creation, fewer developers were needed. Unfortunately, that transition cost talented creators their jobs and led to the closure of one of Sweden’s most creative mid-sized studios.
For many in the gaming community, the loss of The Outsiders symbolizes the fragility of even well-respected independent teams once they are absorbed by larger publishers. Yet Goldfarb’s closing words suggest that this may not be the final chapter. “We’re not done,” he said. “We’ll find a way forward.”
2 comments
corporate layoffs killing creativity again smh
Funcom really dropped the ball on this one