Tripwire Interactive has cut 23 positions, a major blow to a company of 120 employees (as of 2024). The move has eliminated nearly one in five roles

The Layoffs Follow Killing Floor 3′ Poor Reception

Though the studio did not connect the layoffs to Killing Floor 3’s reception, its struggle no doubt contributed. At launch, the much anticipated sequel saw a most negative response from players and a rapid decline in engagement.

Today, only half of the game’s Steam english steam reviews are positive, with recent reviews being 60% negative. Player numbers are roughly 99 percent below its launch-day peak of over 30,000. For a game planned to have regular updates and to work as a long-running income stream for the studio, the layoffs seem inevitable.

Franchise Uncertainty After Deleted Movie Tease

Despite Tripwire’s decision, their statement emphasized support for departing employees and reiterated their commitment to ongoing projects, including releases under its Tripwire Presents publishing label (e.g. Chivalry 2).

At the same time, the franchise maybe expanding. Screenwriter Greg Russo (Mortal Kombat, 2021) briefly shared (then deleted) an image of a screenplay titled Killing Floor, credited an adaptation of Tripwire’s game and listing Dark Horse Entertainment on the title page with a March 2026 date. The deletion of the post could indicate that it has been pulled from production following the layoffs, or that it was a breach of NDA and a formal announcement will be made in the future.

Pairing the layoffs with the potential film leaves Killing Floor in uncertain waters. As of now, no mention of Killing Floor 3’s future has been made.