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[jm89]

Laid off King staff set to be replaced by the AI tools they helped build, say sources

Insiders paint a grim picture at King with half the Farm Heroes Saga team set to depart and morale “in the gutter”.

mobilegamer.biz

Bloomberg broke the news that King would be cutting around 200 staff earlier this month. That number was later confirmed by our sources, who told us that the cuts were mostly in middle management and UX and narrative copywriting.

We've since been told more detail. Many level design and user research staff plus practically half of the London-based Farm Heroes Saga team are to be made redundant. The cuts will affect around 50 people on Farm Heroes Saga, we're told, with some of the game's leadership put on gardening leave ahead of their departure in September.

An internal memo sent around to King staff explaining the job cuts.
Many level designers, user research staff plus UX and narrative writers have also been told they're at risk. In particular, these staff have spent the last few years building and training AI tools to do their jobs. They're now effectively being replaced, say sources.

"Most of level design has been wiped, which is crazy since they've spent months building tools to craft levels quicker," said one staffer. "Now those AI tools are basically replacing the teams. Similarly the copywriting team is completely removing people since we now have AI tools that those individuals have been creating."

"The fact AI tools are replacing people is absolutely disgusting but it's all about efficiency and profits even though the company is doing great overall," they continued. "If we're introducing more feedback loops then it's crazy to remove the developers themselves, we need more hands and less leadership."

The same source suggested that the total number of staff cut may be more than 200. Outside of the cuts at the London, Barcelona, Stockholm and Berlin studios, many centralised staff are also being removed, we're told, including research and QA. "If a resource is centralised it is being cut or moved into the production teams," said one source.

A Slack message sent to all Candy Crush staff, on the day the layoffs were announced.
As discussions continue between King leadership and the unions and staff across those offices, many staff are effectively in limbo for the summer, unsure of whether their job will be cut or not.

Some programmers have been removed for "arbitrary reasons", our source continued, suggesting that some of the people being removed have expressed "dissatisfaction with the company or processes" or are vocal in social groups within the company.

Another source told us about King's long-running HR problems. In particular, the Candy Crush teams were described as being in a state of "constant but low attrition" and perpetual restructuring. "King HR is an absolute shitshow and has been for years," said another source. "An extreme example of an HR department whose role it is to protect the company, not the staff."

A recent internal employee survey conducted before the job cuts suggested that morale was already low at the company. One person familiar with the survey's results and King's response said: "The SLT [senior leadership team] said improving morale was a top priority…as you can imagine, it's now in the gutter."

From April 2024: 'How King balances human and AI-powered design in Candy Crush Saga'.
On the day of the layoffs, one staffer who sat in the meetings said King's management wanted to remove layers, stakeholders and processes slowing development down, particularly middle management.

"They also mentioned the fact that we are too specialized now and siloed between crafts, which has got us to our amazing profits but now is hampering us so we need to merge and generalize," they said.

"It seemed that the main info communicated to us by leadership was literally being read like a script in the calls which is like a slap to the face."

Another person added: "Despite the conditions forced upon the teams by inept leadership, the teams are very close-knit and do genuinely care about each other and are passionate about improving their games."

Some senior staff have been put on gardening leave for the summer ahead of their expected departure in September. The company's management team has told staff that a new org chart will be presented in September, we're told.

 

[Deft Beck]

Checkmate.

 

[PeteBull]

Im mean its mobile gatcha game genre, the evillest of them all, so ai taken over:

 

[Liopleurodon]

FAFO at its finest.

 

[Nintendo's Witch]

AIIIIII LMAOOO

 

[Bojji]

Classic Microsoft.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Skynet is coming for you.

 

[Tajaz2426]

Man, I love watching this. All the shit the knuckle draggers get and they will have jobs , while they spent a 100k or more to get a degree in fucking yourself.

This cannot be real, I'm still dreaming and smiling.

 

[crackajack]

Progress, does not matter if you like it or not, once a machine can do your job, it just makes it better and cheaper.
We could have no unemployed people at all, worldwide, if just mining, farming and the car industry were not using any motorized machines. Difference to AI is this threat is eliminating white collar jobs and we currently have nothing in sight that replaces it.

 

[Heisenberg007]

That's the worst part, isn't it?

Human workers train AI and build custom GPTs, which are then used to replace said workers.

 

[drganon]

The ai bubble can't burst soon enough.

 

[calico]

Farm workers fed the people who invented tractors. It do be like that.

 

[OGM_Madness]

I didn't have any faith in King of all companies to be the beacon of ethics or morality when it comes to Game development, and this news doesn't do King any favors either.

That said, I think we will start seeing AI praise first in Japanese companies. They usually have different work ethics, and perhaps AI will either leviate some of the stress work or they'll be able to do more with less. A company like Capcom or Nintendo will likely praise AI tools when it's more normalize and they have the output to show for it. Game development is already taking almost a decade and if the promise of AI can be rapid game development without human crunch and sacrifice it can only mean good things.

Japan has always had a different culture when it comes to their CEOs and management in general, so I imagine they'll show the rest of the world a different perspective when it comes to integration with this new technology.

 

[SomeNorseGuy]

Can't wait for the day dev studios consist of 199 suits and 1 guy typing prompts, then we'll finally realise the full (monetary) potential of gaming.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

A company like Capcom or Nintendo will likely praise AI tools when it's more normalize and they have the output to show for it. Game development is already taking almost a decade and if the promise of AI can be rapid game development without human crunch and sacrifice it can only mean good things.

Japan has always had a different culture when it comes to their CEOs and management in general, so I imagine they'll show the rest of the world a different perspective when it comes to integration with this new technology.

Considering it was the Japanese studios that were supposedly struggling to adapt to the pandemic they've put the American studios to shame this generation.

 

[Duchess]

Many of the staff cut will effectively be replaced by the AI tools they built and trained

"I've finished putting together the shovel, boss."

"Great. Now go use it to dig your own grave."

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Right idea, wrong staff.
It's management that AI excels at, not trailblazing products and system solutions.

 

[archangelmorph]

Unfortunate,

However, on the bright side, if you spent the latter part of your tenure building AI automation tools around your core discipline then your skillset will be seen as invaluable but other firms looking for the same efficiencies.

Get yourself back out into the jobs market quickly and lean into this mess TBH.

Even better if you setup a consultancy and charge these companies through the nose on your day rate.

 

[Poppinfresh]

Remember when coal miners were told to "learn to code?"

Looks like it's time for coders to learn how to mine coal.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Remember when coal miners were told to "learn to code?"

Looks like it's time for coders to learn how to mine coal.

Journalists also cant catch a break either since they were also told to code. Guess its time to clean the streets and toilets for all humanity soon.

 

[Deerock71]

Skynet is coming for you.

 

[Fafalada]

Im mean its mobile gatcha game genre

It's also MS's most profitable gaming IP by some margin.
But I guess that makes it even more profitable

Btw I wouldn't take any of these AI statements at face-value(99% of it for investors BS) - eg. XBox studios outright cancelled a rather large number of projects, there's no amount of logical twisting that can rationalise that as 'but efficiency improved'.
Though in case of CC I could see that map directly to profits (the faster you iterate, the larger the direct profit margins become - assuming you don't kill your product in the process).

 

[Sephimoth]

"learn to code"

"learn to cope"

 

[AJUMP23]

I do not know what they expected. Always be prepared to change shift and plan. Sucks to lose work, but you have to adapt.

 

[SamuraiEdge]

 

[Robb]

 

[Loomy]

"Game preservation"

Empowering Creators and Players With Muse, a Generative AI Model for Gameplay - Xbox Wire

Introducing Muse, a new kind of generative AI model that lets you play and create. From developer ideation to one day supporting game preservation, Muse holds potential to unlock new possibilities.

news.xbox.com

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

I'm against the use of generative AI or whichever they call it, but in this case devs got what they deserved. They are as guilty as their employers.

Also, it's about time techies start using their brains properly and become truly creative, so a dumb machine can't replace them. If you do a mechanical work with zero creativity or added value, it's only a matter of time that they will find a better machine than you.

 

[Felessan]

That's the worst part, isn't it?
Human workers train AI and build custom GPTs, which are then used to replace said workers.

Workers were required to provide information and assist automatization only to be replaced by that automatization by 20+ years already, AI just expanded scope.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Workers were required to provide information and assist automatization only to be replaced by that automatization by 20+ years already, AI just expanded scope.

There is a big difference that many people seem not to realize. Machines were always used for mechanical non-creative tasks. This is an involution.

Replacing human talent with AI is bad for everyone. As a consumer, I care for the quality of the end product and AI is not what I want in my entertainment.

 

[BbMajor7th]

I'm against the use of generative AI or whichever they call it, but in this case devs got what they deserved. They are as guilty as their employers.

Also, it's about time techies start using their brains properly and become truly creative, so a dumb machine can't replace them. If you do a mechanical work with zero creativity or added value, it's only a matter of time that they will find a better machine than you.

That's the industry these days. Everything is templated. You go to your boss with a novel idea and the best you can hope for is a pat on the head. It's why the entertainment industry is circling the toilet - they thought they could mass produce it to a fixed template, automate and then kick back and count the cash. Turns out industries built on excitement, innovation and new ideas don't fair well when you take those things away...

 

[Poppinfresh]

As a consumer, I care for the quality of the end product and AI is not what I want in my entertainment.

As a consumer, I care about the quality of the end product too, and if AI can create something that is just as good (or better) than what a human can do, but can do it faster and cheaper, then I'm 100% supportive of that.

 

[Felessan]

There is a big difference that many people seem not to realize. Machines were always used for mechanical non-creative tasks. This is an involution.
Replacing human talent with AI is bad for everyone. As a consumer, I care for the quality of the end product and AI is not what I want in my entertainment.

No difference.
Acountants, documents guys, equity traders etc are still jobs.
Just because artists percieved as "creative" job people want them to be excluded from this process. Even though 99% of time they do art to target given to them, same as any other "mechanical job" (and art director that define target will keep its job anyway).

 

[Aces High]

AI isn't good or evil. It's just a tool for automating repetitive, recurring tasks.

Greedy people will always try to screw others over to get as rich as possible. It doesn't matter whether it's driven by technological advancements or simply because nobody is stopping them.

The coming years are a time of restructuring. The deck is reshuffled for everyone. People adapt their careers and find new kinds of work. In the end, AI is a net positive for humanity. The doom-and-gloom predictions never turn out to be true.

It's simple: in a business-driven world, the wealth of the greedy depends on the consumerism of the many. But who's going to buy all the stuff if nobody has a job?

 

[DenchDeckard]

This timeline, what a mess.

 

[Three]

Im mean its mobile gatcha game genre, the evillest of them all, so ai taken over:

Why would it be for the best? It's not like the mobile gacha game goes away. People would just lose their jobs and Candy crush would still be a thing making even more money than other games that require people to create it.

 

[MiguelItUp]

This timeline is fucking stupid. How can you ever expect to make jobs for people when you're replacing them with AI? In some areas some people are really having a hard time finding some work. This kind of stuff isn't going to help.

 

[Poppinfresh]

Just because artists percieved as "creative" job people want them to be excluded from this process.

I've never understood this. Creatives aren't special.

When we invented the technology to replace a lot of manual labor/assembly line/etc... jobs we did. Now we are inventing and refining the technology to replace creatives.

How can you ever expect to make jobs for people when you're replacing them with AI? In some areas some people are really having a hard time finding some work.

Thirty years ago, when I was graduating from high school, there was a movement away from skilled labor and toward tech jobs. Now, we're likely to see a return to moving toward skilled labor jobs—the sort of jobs that will always be in demand and will never be able to be replaced by AI or machines.

 

[Pop]

Microsoft needs to save all the money they can, ok

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

I've never understood this. Creatives aren't special.

When we invented the technology to replace a lot of manual labor/assembly line/etc... jobs we did. Now we are inventing and refining the technology to replace creatives.

It's not about being "special" . Creativity is a HUMAN trait. It requires: conscience, self-awareness, intelligence. Machines DONT have any of those. Not too hard to understand.

Write or design a character demands a living person that puts himself in the shoes of that character, something that a machine cannot and won't ever be able to do.

So, by replacing creatives with machines you are settling for a dumbed down copy of a real piece of work made by actual people. You are lowering your standards and PAYING MORE for that.

It's not about job losses but about our entertainment not becoming fucking junk food. I'm not eating that shit.

 

[Poppinfresh]

Write or design a character demands a living person that puts himself in the shoes of that character, something that a machine cannot and won't ever be able to do.

I wouldn't bet on that.

It's not about job losses but about our entertainment not becoming fucking junk food.

99% of it already is "junk food."

Pandora's Box has been opened. Unless something changes drastically in the next 5 or so years, AI and AI created content is the future.

Granted, Randy Travis helped with this, but this is AI and as a long-time Randy Travis fan, I'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference.

 

[SidViscous]

I wonder if they'll add an equivalent of income tax for jobs carried out by AI, seems like a sensible nudge in favour of keeping real folks earning a living

 

[IFireflyl]

Forget AI for a moment. If a person, or a group of people, makes the workload easier, then the company doesn't need to utilize as many resources. Those resources will get cut, because what company is going to pay money for resources that are not being fully (or even mostly) utilized? This isn't AI-specific. Any tools or technological advancements that make it so that less people are needed to do the job is going to result in less people being paid to do the job. Guess where else this happened? Assembly lines. When automation kicked in, fewer hands were needed on the floor. Machines took over repetitive tasks, and the workers who were no longer essential got laid off. There is no use in blaming the company or AI. History repeats itself.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Being like Disney and making your IT staff train their H1B replacements was so 2024. This is the future!!!

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

99% of it already is "junk food."

Did u ever wonder why? Easy answer: so people believe that AI can replace humans. The first step is to hire CRAP creators. So, the solution is not AI. Instead, hire GOOD creators.

No machine will ever be Nolan, Tarantino, Spielberg or Stephen King. Let's stop believing the transhumanist bullshit.

 

[MiguelItUp]

Thirty years ago, when I was graduating from high school, there was a movement away from skilled labor and toward tech jobs. Now, we're likely to see a return to moving toward skilled labor jobs—the sort of jobs that will always be in demand and will never be able to be replaced by AI or machines.

I can totally see that happening. Even when I graduated in 2002 there was still a pretty big tech demand. It's just insane to think that AI (even in its current early state) is enough for businesses to make such decisions. It's a shame.

I just certainly hope that there's enough for everyone that may be looking for them in the future. Well, and they pay well enough, offer benefits, etc. I'm sure various generations experienced their own form of weird, but man this one has been something else, lol.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

can those games get more garbage?..... yes, they can

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

"Most of level design has been wiped, which is crazy since they've spent months building tools to craft levels quicker," said one staffer.

 

[PeteBull]

Why would it be for the best? It's not like the mobile gacha game goes away. People would just lose their jobs and Candy crush would still be a thing making even more money than other games that require people to create it.

Coz as good as AI currently is, we gotta assume it wont make even more efficient games in that particular genre, it can make mindless copies of games, but it wont innovate, and im perfectly fine with mobile gatcha(highly p2w) genre to be fucked up forever, its only good for us, gamers that games in that genre are not fun/not enjoyable for majority of gamers
Just to give u an example how evil/nasty human devs of that genre are:

And thats from 2016 so 9 years ago, mobile games devs even back then had totally no scrupples evil mindset, fk them back, its perfectly fine.

 

[Guardian Monkey]

Another source told us about King's long-running HR problems. In particular, the Candy Crush teams were described as being in a state of "constant but low attrition" and perpetual restructuring. "King HR is an absolute shitshow and has been for years," said another source. "An extreme example of an HR department whose role it is to protect the company, not the staff."

Just as an aside, HR's role is always to protect the company for any company.