Vermila Studios lays off all 19 staff five months after Blumhouse-published Crisol launch
Summary
Vermila Studios laid off all 19 staff via Spain's ERE process, five months after Crisol: Theater of Idols launched
CEO David Carrasco cited financial reasons; closure is a "feasible possibility in the upcoming months"
Blumhouse Games published the February 10, 2026 debut, yet the deal did not secure post-launch runway
Vermila was acquired by Embracer in 2020 for €0.9M and divested during Embracer's 2023 restructuring
"We're going to try to pull through for the time being without shutting down, but the circumstances are quite difficult and it is a feasible possibility in the upcoming months"
01
Full staff cut five months after Crisol launch
Vermila filed an ERE (Expediente de Regulación de Empleo), Spain's collective layoff procedure
The process concluded with dismissal of all 19 employees, confirmed by designer Raúl Pernía Alejandro
Crisol: Theater of Idols launched February 10, 2026 under Blumhouse Games; operational collapse followed by late July
Carrasco disclosed no sales figures, leaving the performance gap between launch and layoffs unquantified
02
Why the Blumhouse deal did not prevent Vermila Studios layoffs
Publishing deals typically fund development and launch marketing, not ongoing headcount if a title underperforms
Vermila had already survived Embracer's 2023 divestment, forcing a publisher search from a weakened position
Carrasco previously described the pre-Blumhouse funding pressure that shaped the studio's options
"If you have the financial need and don't have the money to stay afloat, then you have to start making decisions that oppose your artistic goals"
03
The structural risk for single-title indie studios
Single-debut studios with no secondary revenue depend entirely on that title's commercial performance
High-profile publisher branding generates visibility but does not guarantee sales or post-launch financing
ERE filing within five months of launch is the clearest available signal of commercial shortfall
Post-launch is the highest-risk phase for small studios, and publishing contracts rarely address it
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