Report: Lilith Games cuts 40 staff as Project Party undergoes changes

AFK Arena developer Lilith Games has laid off approximately 40 employees, according to local media reports in China.

According to Youxi Chaguan and GameLook, the job losses impacted the team working on life sim Project Party (also known as Life Party), announced earlier this year for both PC and mobile. 

After an unsuccessful test period, the team was cut from 100 to 60 staff, with the title’s lead producer also exiting the project. The title has not been cancelled, however, and is reportedly undergoing gameplay changes.

PocketGamer.biz has reached out for comment.

Project revamp

Earlier this year we spoke with Lilith Games’ head of strategy and investment, Vincent Ou, to discuss the company’s culture, development process and live ops strategy.

Project Party was set to utilise user-generated content, a trend amongst a number of releases including rival NetEase’s Eggy Party.  Discussing the title, Ou said the game aimed to offer a variety of fresh and accessible play styles to ensure it attracted by inexperienced and seasoned players.

“At the same time, we aim to make the game editor as simple and easy to use as possible, in order to lower the threshold for players to create UGC content,” he said earlier this year.

“Another unique aspect of Project Party is its deep social features. Our platform provides diverse social play options, catering to those who want to play with friends or meet new people. We also offer solo or asynchronous social play, so whether someone enjoys playing solo or with others, there are plentiful options to accommodate everyone.”