Playtika to lay off 500 employees in latest round of cuts 

• More than 1,000 roles have been eliminated at Playtika over the past three years.
• The company plans to focus resources on fewer projects.
• The publisher plans to increase its use of AI and automation.

Playtika has confirmed plans to layoff approximately 500 employees.

As reported by Calcalist Tech, Playtika CEO Robert Antokol told staff the company is moving away from what he described as an unsustainable growth strategy.

In a letter sent to employees on Tuesday, Antokol said Playtika would cut 15% of its workforce, impacting around 500 employees globally. The company employs roughly 3,500 people worldwide. 

“Our broad growth mindset is no longer sustainable,” Antokol wrote, adding that Playtika must adjust its organisational structure and operating model in order to continue investing in future products. 

Repeated cuts 

The announcement follows reports from two months ago suggesting the company was preparing to lay off between 700 and 800 employees, or close to 20% of its workforce. 

Antokol said the company needs to reduce headcount to concentrate resources on fewer projects, noting that not all games would continue to receive the same level of investment. He added that Playtika plans to rely more heavily on AI and automation to improve efficiency.

The latest cuts mark Playtika’s fifth round of layoffs since 2022, during which more than 1,000 jobs have been eliminated. 

In June, the publisher laid off around 90 employees across teams working on titles including Best Fiends and Redecor, as well as at subsidiary Wooga.