The developers behind Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, Iron Galaxy, announced through a LinkedIn post that they are laying off more people. Note that this announcement comes directly from the development studio itself, not Activision, which publishes the Tony Hawk games. The interesting part here is how the studio accepts that this has now become a trend in the industry:
“Players consume games in new ways. Publishers have different criteria for investing in the development of games. This new normal has impacted all our partners. As Iron Galaxy adapts, we must make painful decisions about what we can be as a company. It’s impossible for us to sustain the team size that we’ve carried this past year, even after our downsizing from last year.”
This is the studio’s second round of layoffs in just over a year, as they previously laid off 66 developers last February. Pro Skater 3 + 4 received positive reviews across the board, and it ranked highly in our best sports games of 2025 roundup. However, reports suggest that total game sales didn’t reach their intended targets, and Iron Galaxy hasn’t released anything new to generate more revenue.
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The New Normal
Post-COVID, we’ve seen these mass layoffs happen at different studios again and again. According to some reports, nearly 45,000 people in the industry have been laid off between 2022 and now. Another skateboarding game developer, EA-owned studio Full Circle, saw layoffs back in February this year. Those layoffs were a bit more surprising than the ones at Iron Galaxy, as Full Circle is still working on skate. actively.
Circling back to Iron Galaxy, the studio appears to be sympathetic to the loss of staff:
“We hate losing people. One of our core values is providing a wonderful experience for the talented folks who work for us. The best we can do for them today is to help them start writing the next chapter of their career. They are all welcome to introductions and referrals from us. If you need good people, please be on the lookout for them.”
Iron Galaxy has not detailed which specific projects or teams are affected by the latest layoffs. The studio will likely continue supporting its existing games for the time being, as it evaluates its future direction in a challenging environment.
Published: Apr 20, 2026 11:30 am