Pax Dei lays off 25% of dev team to keep studio alive

Mainframe Industries, developers of the upcoming MMO Pax Dei, revealed news of some layoffs. The post insists that the game is still on track to launch, but it's a terrible thing to hear about. The premise of the MMO isn't a new one, but nonetheless, it's a bold idea. It's a huge sandbox MMO where the players themselves will create the towns, the community, and the economy.

A complex but interesting game, Pax Dei opened up its Early Access last year and still has a ways to go before a full launch hits. Unfortunately, though, a huge chunk of an already small team has been let go as a part of a "restructuring."

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Unfortunate lay offs hit Pax Dei’s development team

Layoffs have hit Pax Dei’s team at Mainframe Industries, reducing the team from 60 people down to just 43. According to the post made by the team, it was to “secure the future of our studio and ensure the continued development” of the upcoming MMO.

It's never good news to hear about people losing their jobs due to restructuring, but fans are being assured development will continue (Image via Mainframe Industries)

The official post thanked everyone who worked on the game who was let go, as they helped shape the game into the form that it currently has. We also read that they are doing “everything possible” to support the people who were let go at Mainframe Industries.

Thankfully, the game will continue to be developed:

“Despite this reorganization, our mission remains unchanged. The development of Pax Dei is continuing, and our commitment to its vision is stronger than ever. In fact, we owe it to everyone, especially those who are leaving, to see this through.”

Unfortunately, with a smaller team, the updates will probably come a bit slower. With that, the next major update, Verse #3, is coming but will be delayed. It’s still planned for a Spring 2025 release, though it may take a few more weeks.

This also means a player wipe is coming since there are major changes to the world itself, gear, crafting, and combat. It will also remove inactive plots of land. Players won’t lose their gold or Grace, but the geography of the world will change along with a vast array of other changes.

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Despite the huge layoffs to the team, Pax Dei remains intact, though updates will get a bit slower. The Mainframe Industries team thanked their employees, players, content creators, and partners for their continued support of this upcoming MMO. While sandbox MMOs aren't usually my cup of tea, I like the premise of this game and am looking forward to diving deep into it when an opportunity presents itself.