FuturLab Cancels an In-Development Game and Lays Off 7 Employees
CEO Kirsty Rigden said the pre-production project would have cost more than FuturLab expected it to make, while PowerWash Simulator 2 support continues.
FuturLab canceled an unannounced game in late June 2026, then seven employees reportedly left the studio in late July. The remaining team is continuing support for PowerWash Simulator 2 while prototyping ideas for future games.
CEO Kirsty Rigden confirmed the cancellation and departures in a statement to This Week in Videogames. She said the new project was unrelated to PowerWash Simulator and had spent two to three years in development, although it was still in pre-production. Completing it, Rigden said, “would have cost us more than it was projected to make.” She described continuing with the project as an impractical choice and said making the decision early was intended to protect FuturLab’s future.
“This is awful as these are people who are super talented and many of whom have been with us a long time, and I really really appreciate them,” Rigden said. “This was not an easy or quick decision to make, but by making difficult decisions early we protect FuturLab in the future.”
FuturLab is continuing PowerWash Simulator 2 support
FuturLab said the cancellation allows it to remain focused on PowerWash Simulator 2 while the team prototypes ideas for later games. The studio has not identified the canceled project or announced further details about it.
FuturLab’s departure process drew questions
Sources familiar with the situation said employees assigned to the canceled project spent weeks without new work after the decision. Seven employees were reportedly laid off in late July, and the wider team was not informed at the time. Managers and team leads were allegedly not told when their direct reports would stop attending work or why.
During a company meeting in early August, COO Chris Mehers reportedly described the situation as a restructuring. Staff were later instructed not to use the term “redundancy” for the affected employees and instead refer to them as “the leavers.”
FuturLab declined to provide more information about whether the seven departures were redundancies, citing a confidential and legally binding process under UK employment law. Rigden also acknowledged the impact on the departing employees, many of whom had worked at the studio for a long time.
What do you make of FuturLab’s decision and the studio’s plan for PowerWash Simulator 2? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
