FuturLab Cuts Staff After Cancelling Unannounced Project

Developer FuturLab has confirmed it has laid off seven employees following the cancellation of an unannounced project that was unrelated to *PowerWash Simulator*. According to reports, the project had been in development for two to three years before being cancelled while in pre-production.

In a statement provided to *This Week in Video Games*, FuturLab CEO Kirsty Rigden explained that the project was cancelled because "it would have cost us more than it was projected to make." Rigden noted that continuing with development would not have been a sensible decision, and that making difficult choices early helps protect the studio's future. She added that FuturLab remains fully committed to making *PowerWash Simulator 2* the best game it can be while prototyping new ideas for future games.

Anonymous sources cited in reports outlined internal developments surrounding the restructuring process. According to these sources, the cancellation was announced internally by Rigden, and seven affected employees departed in July following weeks where project staff were reportedly left without new work assignments. Sources also alleged that managers and team leads were not initially informed why direct reports were away, and that a subsequent company meeting held in August involved COO Chris Mehers discussing studio restructuring.

While Rigden confirmed that seven people left the business and acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, she stated she was unable to divulge further details regarding a confidential and legally binding process when asked about redundancy specifics.