MercurySteam cuts staff after Blades of Fire misses sales targets

Spanish developer MercurySteam announced staff reductions after its 2025 action-adventure Blades of Fire failed to meet internal sales expectations. The studio described the move in a LinkedIn post as a “workforce adjustment” and did not disclose how many roles were eliminated.

The LinkedIn post began, “There is no easy way to share this kind of news,” and said the company would manage the process “with the utmost responsibility, humanity, and respect for everyone involved.” The studio offered help finding new jobs and provided an email contact for recruiters and studios seeking experienced developers: [email protected].

MercurySteam is based in Spain and is known for developing Metroid: Samus Returns for the 3DS and Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch, and for work on the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series. Blades of Fire launched in 2025 as a PlayStation 5 and PC exclusive on the Epic Games Store, with a Steam release scheduled for May 2026.

The company said Blades of Fire received generally positive reviews for its action and design but that sales did not meet internal projections. After the game’s release, some current or former employees accused the studio of long working hours during development, while other staff publicly disputed those claims. The LinkedIn announcement did not address those accusations directly.

MercurySteam did not provide a timeline for severance payments or transition support, nor did it specify which teams were affected. The studio thanked departing employees in the post, writing, “We want to express our deepest respect, gratitude, and support for the people affected, whose talent, effort, and commitment have been an important part of the studio’s history.” It invited industry contacts to reach out about hiring opportunities and said it would do everything it could to assist professionals in finding new roles.

The announcement follows other recent workforce adjustments across the games industry tied to the commercial performance of recent titles and shifting development priorities.