Wooga Lays Off Around 50 Staff Following Cancellation of Claire’s Chronicles: Solitaire

Berlin-based mobile game developer Wooga has reportedly laid off around 50 employees following the cancellation of its in-development title Claire’s Chronicles: Solitaire.

The layoffs appear to span multiple departments, including art, production, design, economy, and data analysis.

The layoffs come just as Wooga moved into a new Berlin office, and shortly after former Youda Games general manager Dennis Korf officially took over as managing director earlier this year. He succeeded Nai Chang, who led the studio for five years.

While Wooga and parent company Playtika declined to comment publicly on the layoffs or provide official figures, multiple staff members confirmed the news via LinkedIn, with job-hunting posts and mutual support emerging across the platform as reported by Pocketgamer.

Claire’s Chronicles: Solitaire Cancelled After Soft Launch

Claire’s Chronicles: Solitaire had been in soft launch since October 2024, and was intended to be Wooga’s next major release. The studio, best known for its highly successful hidden object games June’s Journey and Pearl’s Peril, had been exploring new genres and formats, including narrative-driven solitaire mechanics, in a bid to replicate earlier successes.

The decision to shut down the project reflects the harsh realities of mobile game development, where even soft-launched titles face cancellation if they fail to meet internal expectations on engagement, monetization, or long-term viability.

Financial Pressures Despite Strong Revenue

The layoffs follow a mixed earnings report from Playtika, which acquired Wooga in 2018. In its Q1 2025 financials, Playtika reported record quarterly revenue of $706 million (up 8.4% year-over-year), bolstered by last year’s acquisition of SuperPlay, the developer of Dice Dreams. 

However, net income fell 42.3% YoY to $30.6 million, while adjusted EBITDA dropped 9.9% compared to the previous year — a sign that profitability remains a concern.

Despite June’s Journey crossing $1 billion in lifetime revenue, Playtika and its subsidiaries have been aggressively restructuring. The shutdown of Claire’s Chronicles may reflect a strategic pivot to focus resources on proven IPs and higher-performing titles.