Monument Valley Boss Says Full-Time Dev Jobs Are Getting Less 'Romantic' – A Digital Reality Check?
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Ustwo Games, developers of *Monument Valley*, are pivoting to PC and embracing a more contract-heavy staffing model, with CEO Maria Sayans acknowledging a personal dislike for this industry trend despite her studio adopting it due to financial pressures and a shift away from 'romantic' full-time employment ideals.
Alright, mates, gather 'round. Ustwo Games, the digital architects behind the utterly charming *Monument Valley* series, are making some interesting moves. After *Monument Valley 3* did a bit of an unceremonious disappearing act from Netflix last year, they're now ditching the mobile-first magic and pivoting to PC. A sensible strategic shift, you might reckon, for a studio that clearly knows how to build beautiful digital realms.
But here's where it gets a bit... crunchy. Maria Sayans, the big boss at Ustwo and also the chair for Ukie (that's the UK games industry trade body, mind you), has been doing some serious number-crunching. Her conclusion? Ustwo's apparently been "a little bit too romantic" about hiring full-time staff. Bloody hell, romance in game dev? Who knew!
Sayans told Game Developer (and cheers to Mark Warren at Rock Paper Shotgun for scooping this up!) that their past strategy of having a relatively low percentage of contractors was, shall we say, a bit starry-eyed. Going forward, it sounds like it's a "core team" and then... *poof*... contractors for any growth. She was quick to add that this isn't some grand scheme of corporate villainy she's desperate to enact. In fact, she *hates* this industry trend herself, wistfully reminiscing about the glorious stability of the early 2000s when she joined. Fair dinkum, I get it. We all pine for the good old days when the internet didn't constantly demand a blood sacrifice.
But it does make you wonder, doesn't it? The head of a body aiming to "shape a thriving, dynamic industry" lamenting the very trends her own company is embracing. It’s a bit of a paradox, like a wizard complaining about the rise of instant teleportation spells while offering them on subscription. Sayans also pointed to London's high costs and employee pensions as factors, making it harder to match the leaner budgets some PC developers operate on. Ustwo's full-time staff numbers have already shrunk from 40 (at *MV3*'s peak) to just under 30.
This isn't just about Ustwo, is it? We're seeing this across the board. The flexibility of contractors, the agility for project-based work – it's alluring for studios. But for the actual humans building these digital worlds? It often means less stability, fewer benefits, and a constant hustle for the next gig. The wizard's guild used to have steady apprenticeships; now it's more like a freelance spell-slinging marketplace.
And speaking of history, it's worth a quick mention that Ustwo faced accusations of union busting back in 2019, which they denied at the time. It just adds another layer to this discussion about worker stability, doesn't it? So, what does this all mean for the enchanted realms we game in? Will the shift to a more contract-heavy model lead to leaner, more experimental PC games, or will it erode the foundations of stable dev careers? It's a tricky spell to cast, mate. As always, the digital tea leaves are swirling, and we'll be here to watch the chaos unfold.
Tags: Game Development, Ustwo Games, Industry Trends, Employment, PC Gaming
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun