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FuturLab Lays Off Staff After Cancelling Secret Project, Called Them "The Leavers"
layoffsFuturLabPowerWash Simulatorgame cancellation

FuturLab Lays Off Staff After Cancelling Secret Project, Called Them "The Leavers"

Sep 9, 20264 sources0 comments

PowerWash Simulator developer FuturLab has laid off seven employees following the cancellation of an unannounced project that had no connection to the studio's hit pressure-washing franchise. The cuts were reportedly carried out without notifying team leads or managers beforehand, catching much of the studio off guard and raising serious concerns about the transparency of the process.

Adding to the controversy, sources have accused FuturLab leadership of attempting to soften the blow of the layoffs by instructing staff to refer to those who lost their jobs as "the leavers," a choice of language that drew sharp criticism from workers as an attempt to obscure the reality of what had happened. The studio had kept the layoffs and the project cancellation quiet, with little public acknowledgment until reports surfaced on September 8, 2026.

Key Insights

  • 1FuturLab laid off seven employees following the cancellation of an unannounced, non-PowerWash Simulator project.
  • 2The layoffs were reportedly conducted without informing team leads or managers in advance.
  • 3Studio leadership instructed staff to refer to laid-off workers as 'the leavers,' a move widely criticized as an attempt to downplay the situation.
  • 4FuturLab kept the layoffs and project cancellation quiet for some time before reports emerged publicly.
  • 5The cancelled project's details remain unrevealed, leaving questions about the studio's development direction outside its flagship franchise.

Sources

PowerWash Simulator Execs Absurdly Tried To Soften The Blow Of Layoffs By Referring To Let-Go Workers As 'The Leavers'

Kotaku · 1d ago

PowerWash Simulator devs FuturLab laid off staff and cancelled an unrevealed project earlier this year, but certainly kept quiet about it

Rock Paper Shotgun · 1d ago

Report: FuturLab lays off devs without informing team leads or managers

Game Developer · 1d ago

FuturLab cuts staff after cancelling non-Powerwash Simulator title

GamesIndustry · 1d ago

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