Developers at Supermassive Games, responsible for Little Nightmares 3, reveal workforce reductions; release of another terrorizing video game faces delays
**Directive 8020 Delayed to 2026, Little Nightmares III Remains on Schedule**
Following the recent announcement, Supermassive Games' highly anticipated science-fiction horror game, Directive 8020, has been delayed from its original release date of October 2, 2025. The game is now scheduled to launch in the first half of 2026, with an exact date yet to be announced.
The delay comes amidst challenging and evolving conditions in the video game industry and a studio restructuring process that resulted in the layoff of 36 employees at Supermassive Games. The developer stated that the additional time will help them deliver a polished and high-quality experience for players, with the positive community response encouraging the extra development time.
Despite the setback, Supermassive confirmed that their other upcoming title, Little Nightmares III, will still launch as planned on October 9, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC. Unlike its predecessors, Little Nightmares III supports co-op, allowing two players to go through the experience together.
Directive 8020 follows a team of astronauts searching for a new planet, only to encounter a horrifying lifeform that can take monstrous forms while imitating humans. The game is the fifth instalment in The Dark Pictures Anthology, with Will Doyle serving as the game director. The science-fiction setting appeals to the director's love of films like Alien and The Thing.
The writer, who subscribes to a newsletter for news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards, has enjoyed playing prior games in The Dark Pictures Anthology. They express concern about the layoffs at Supermassive Games and hope for a quick recovery for the affected employees. Despite the delay, the writer remains hopeful that Directive 8020 can surpass the studio's best work, which is Until Dawn (2015).
In February 2024, Supermassive Games had previously laid off 90 employees, which was about 26% of the studio's total workforce. The writer hopes that Directive 8020 will prove to be a successful game that will help the studio recover and continue to produce high-quality titles.
Meanwhile, Little Nightmares 3 focuses on guiding a child through a massive, desolate world. As a sequel to the horror titles developed by Tarsier Studios, Little Nightmares 3 is not being delayed and is still scheduled to launch on Oct. 9, 2025.
References: [1] Supermassive Games (2025). "Directive 8020 delayed to 2026". Supermassive Games. Retrieved July 2025. [2] GamesIndustry.biz (2025). "Supermassive Games announces layoffs, delays Directive 8020". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved July 2025. [4] IGN (2025). "Directive 8020 delayed, Little Nightmares III release unaffected". IGN. Retrieved July 2025.
In the video game industry's dynamic landscape, Supermassive Games is working on two distinct titles: the postponedDirective 8020 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, and the scheduled release of Little Nightmares III, which will offer a co-op experience. The delay in Directive 8020, originally slated for October 2025, was announced in 2026, while Little Nightmares III remains on schedule for October 9, 2025. Microsoft's Xbox Series X will be a platform for both games.
