Office Fight dev rebuts games industry layoffs with free copies to those impacted via its Two Weeks’ Notice campaign

Developer Fenix Studios is running a 2-week campaign from August 21, 2024, giving those hit by games industry layoffs in 2024 a free copy of its office battling and destruction game, Office Fight. The developer’s origins are closely linked with past layoffs, and the game itself is one way it’s fighting back against the rising number of staff losing their jobs.

Anyone who has lost their games industry job in 2024 due to the relentless wave of layoffs that’s been hitting developers and publishers throughout the year can claim their copy of Office Fight using Fenix Studios’ Google Form. Note that only those who lost their job due to layoffs, not because they were fired or asked to leave a company for other reasons, can claim a copy of the game. It’s difficult to keep track, but this campaign could see over 11,000 people get a free copy of the game if they all hear about it.

Fight back against the office

Office Fight is a game borne from layoffs. The team at Fenix Studios formed their own company after they were hit by layoffs in 2023. As you can imagine, when the job you love is brutally taken away from you for reasons completely out of your control, it becomes the center of your world for a while. During that time, the folks at Fenix Studios channeled their frustrations and built Office Fight.

In the game, you play as an office worker who is, shockingly, laid off without warning. The news literally kills them and transforms them into a vengeful spirit. This gives you access to their ghostly powers and effectively transforms you into the subway ghost from the movie Ghost. You flip cups, chairs, and anything else you can to start a fight with anyone in the office and watch the chaos that ensues.

It’s no secret that 2024 has been a horrific year for the games industry when it comes to layoffs. There have been so many from such great studios that it’s difficult to point to just one as a reason why this campaign matters. For me, Bungie’s recent layoffs really hit home because I’ve been playing the Destiny series for roughly a decade.

We all have a developer or publisher we were shocked to learn was laying off staff immediately and seemingly out of the blue. Office Fight is a game that shows how angry layoffs can make those impacted by them feel, and the fact that you play as a ghost speaks volumes about how little staff must feel heard when they’re forced out the door.

The game is available on Steam now with a free demo, so you can try it out if you can’t afford to buy it yet. If layoffs make you mad and you’re tired of not being able to do anything about it, purchasing a game made to help you hit back against those ultimately responsible for the layoffs we’ve seen feels like a good first step.