STJV union strikes at Kylotonn as Nacon moves WRC license and layoffs loom

French video games union Le Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (STJV) has gone on strike at Nacon subsidiary studio Kylotonn, with the expectation that significant layoffs will hit the studio next week amidst the publisher’s judicial reorganisation.

A meeting with staff was set to take place on 6th May – the day before last night’s Nacon Connect stream – but postponed to 13th May, with reports and expectations STJV that around 70% (~80 employees) will be laid off. This follows the closure of fellow Nacon studio Spiders last week, who had just launched GreedFall: The Dying World, while other subsidiary studios Cyanide and Big Bad Wolf wait to learn their own future.

Nacon Connect was conspicuously absent of any kind of acknowledgement of the publisher’s financial troubles or the effect that it’s already had on its employees, the only tangential message being one of thanking gamers for their support at the end of the stream. This was particularly notable when the company featured a trailer for GreedFall: The Dying World DLC.

The plan for Kylotonn, as anticipated by STJV, is for the remaining staff to complete development of Endurance Motorsport Series, and then merely continue supporting Test Drive Unlimited with future seasons, however, other game development at the studio will half. In particular, the WRC license which was reacquired by Nacon last year has apparently been moved to the newly founded Grit Games, a studio made up of former Kylotonn employees.

The allegations from STJV are that Nacon is using this as an opportunity to disentangle itself from unionised workforce, with the union having significant presences at Kylotonn and Spiders. Grit Games being a new studio, they state, allows them to avoid rehiring known unionised employees.

Ce midi sur le piquet de grève de Kylotonn Paris, les salarié·es en appellent au PDG du groupe Nacon, Alain Falc.

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— ORIGAMI ???? Média jeu vidéo… mais pas que ! (@origami.ng) 7 May 2026 at 13:01

STJV is on strike as of Wednesday 6th May and until at least 11th May, and will be renewed “as long as needed”. They demand:

• that all layoffs be cancelled as long as there is no solid plan to ensure the company’s future,
• the reactivation of the unannounced project, and its presentation to other publishers and investors,
• the transition of all workers to the Engineers & Professionals status to increase their rights and protection against these shameful acts,
• the contractual revision of the links between Kylotonn and Nacon, to put an end to the power of life and death the group has on our lives and work.

Nacon is, of course, in significant financial trouble and has been unable to renew or restructure its loans in the last few months. The publisher and many of its subsidiaries having filed for insolvency while looking for new sources of funding – this financial crisis pushed them to delay the Nacon Connect stream from early March. Last night’s Nacon Connect stream saw them make a string of announcements, including Dracula: The Disciple from Cyanide, Hunter: The Reckoning – Deathwish from RoboCop developer Teyon, and mystery thriller Curse of the Crimson Stag from One-O-One Games.

Some of these games are over a year from release, so we again hope that there are some meaningful public statements made in the coming weeks and months as this situation continues to develop.

Source: STJV

Tags: Kylotonn, Nacon, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, WRC