Amazon’s Multiplayer Game Falls Short, Attracting Only a Fraction of Expected Players
King of Meat developer Glowmade is set to lay off approximately a dozen employees early next year, as reported by an insider source. These “voluntary redundancies” come just two months after the multiplayer party game launched on Steam, where it fell short of an ambitious goal of 100,000 concurrent players, peaking instead at just 320.
Recently, several developers from Glowmade have taken to LinkedIn to announce they are seeking new job opportunities. The U.K.-based studio released King of Meat in October, with backing from Amazon Game Studios. Discussions about the layoffs reportedly began earlier in December, despite leadership previously assuring staff that the studio had the resources to continue operations.
In 2021, Amazon Game Studios revealed plans to expand its publishing efforts with Glowmade, which was then working on a promising new IP. At that time, Glowmade had a team of 25 employees.
The studio’s leadership had high hopes for King of Meat, aiming for a concurrent player count of at least 100,000. However, the game struggled to maintain even 1,000 players across platforms. On Steam, it recently recorded a peak of just 23 players in a 24-hour period, with a maximum concurrent player count of 320, according to SteamDB.
Many may recall the game for its eye-catching trailer showcased at Gamescom 2024, featuring an animated version of Opening Night Live host Geoff Keighley. That memorable moment reportedly cost nearly half a million dollars but failed to keep King of Meat in the spotlight.
Despite a significant marketing effort, including a high-profile MrBeast video that featured an elaborate set, numerous content creators, and a $250,000 prize—essentially turning it into a mini esports event—King of Meat’s October launch did not perform as expected. The video, released shortly after the game’s debut, garnered 6.8 million views.
Efforts to reach out to Glowmade and Amazon Game Studios for comments have been made.
