Funko Fusion’s “Complete Commercial and Critical Failure” Leads to Layoffs

Funko Fusion was released last year on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, and reception clearly wasn’t what anyone was hoping for. The game currently holds a Metacritic score of 54, and it seems sales weren’t much better. According to a report from Insider Gaming, the game’s “complete commercial and critical failure” was the catalyst for recent layoffs at developer 10:10 Games. Funko Fusion was the studio’s first game, and the tepid response has apparently resulted in the team struggling to find the funding needed for more than one project. As a result, around 20 staffers were told that there “isn’t enough work to give the whole team.”

According to those who spoke to Insider Gaming, staffers were encouraged to take their holiday time during the holiday season. This was apparently done in an effort to avoid paying out the time after the staffers were let go. These staff members have also claimed that severance packages are not being offered, and “the bare legal minimum” is being given to those let go. 10:10 Games has yet to offer any kind of statement about the layoffs, as of this writing.

Layoffs in the video game industry have become unfortunately common over the last few years, across studios of all sizes. The issues with Funko Fusion are part of an unfortunate trend in that regard. Unfortunately, there were several signs that the game could be in trouble ahead of launch. While Funko Pops had once been massively popular, the cultural moment seemed to have shifted away from the toys, with many of them now clogging up landfills. The developers of Funko Fusion managed to obtain the rights to several popular IPs, including Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, and Five Nights at Freddy’s, but it seems that the game still could not generate much interest.

At this time, it remains to be seen what this might mean for future support for Funko Fusion. On February 14th, the game added a DLC pack based on the classic Universal Monsters properties, adding playable characters such as Dracula, Wolf Man, the Invisible Man, and Bride of Frankenstein. Meanwhile, a physical release of Funko Fusion is supposed to be released for Nintendo Switch next month.

RELATED: Tom Holland Confesses to “Embarrassing” Spider-Man Funko Pop Collection

If Funko Fusion truly was the catastrophic failure this report paints it to be, it’s possible 10:10 Games could shift its focus towards the studio’s next project, while moving away from any future planned content for the game. That would assuredly disappoint anyone that did enjoy Funko Fusion, but it’s also unclear how much else the studio was planning. If the developers were planning more, shifting resources away from a game that’s already perceived as a failure could help the studio turn things around. Hopefully 10:10 Games will address these layoffs sometime soon, and offer a clearer idea of what’s happening behind the scenes.

Have you played Funko Fusion? Are you disappointed by the game’s commercial failure? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!