Funcom to lay off staff as it pivots to focusing solely on Conan Exiles and Dune: Awakening

Norwegian game developer Funcom is restructuring its workforce as it concentrates exclusively on live operations for its two flagship titles, Conan Exiles and Dune: Awakening. CEO Rui Casais, who has led the company for 11 years since its acquisition by Tencent in 2020, will depart at the end of this year, succeeded by Chief Product Officer Scott Junior.

Casais explained that moving from full production to post-launch development and operations requires a different organizational structure. While he regrets that all staff who contributed to Dune: Awakening cannot stay on board, he emphasized that the company aims to support affected employees as transparently and positively as possible.

Casais has served Funcom for 22 years, starting as a junior programmer, while Junior, his successor, has been with the company for 25 years and recently held the position of Executive Producer on Dune: Awakening. Funcom pledged its ongoing commitment to expanding and supporting these games and their communities. Conan Exiles recently launched an Enhanced edition, which Funcom intends to further develop.

As the company aligns itself with this new strategy, a restructuring process commences, leading to a reduction in staff size. The firm will not disclose further details until the process concludes, respecting the affected colleagues. Funcom previously laid off staff in October 2025 following the launch of Dune Awakening, described as the company's biggest launch in its 32-year history, and closed Swedish developer The Outsiders in the same year.

The company also acquired the Conan IP through its purchase of holding company Cabinet Group in 2021, which includes other IPs like Solomon Kane and Mutant Year Zero.

Tencent's Yong-yi Zhu previously stated that live services are integral to Funcom's design philosophy, having been part of the company's DNA. Funcom's responsible handling of Dune: Awakening and Conan Exiles has been described as a significant responsibility by Junior, who expressed his commitment to organizing the company for the continued growth and expansion of these games. The developer expressed pride in their accomplishments and excitement for the future.