Наталя Хандусенко Work 14 January 2026, 16:14

Playtika has a new wave of layoffs: 15% of employees will lose their jobs, including Ukrainians

Israeli mobile game developer Playtika is cutting 15% of its staff. The company's CEO explained why it is necessary.

The new decrease was reported by the Telegram channel "Overheard in IT", adding a letter from Playtika CEO Robert Antokol.

According to Overheard in IT, this cutback has also affected the Ukrainian team. People are reporting that they will have meetings today regarding this matter.

Playtika has offices in Vinnytsia, Kyiv, and Dnipro. Abroad – in Israel, the USA, Germany, Poland, and Romania. The company employs about 3,500 people, 605 of whom are in Ukraine.

“If we do not adjust our cost structure today, we will jeopardize our ability to invest in tomorrow. We cannot afford to fund mature games at historical levels while simultaneously trying to build a new future. By optimizing the size of our portfolio investments, we free up the resources needed to fund our games with high growth potential,” the Playtika CEO said in a letter.

According to Antokol, the company is reviewing its operating model, which includes:

transition from personnel-intensive operations to optimized teams based on artificial intelligence and automation;
creating a springboard for the success of promising games without threatening the company's financial condition;
forming a flexible structure that will allow the company to offer better compensation, clearer career paths, and a winning culture for the remaining team.

The company promises to provide affected employees with severance pay and support to "simplify this process."

Recall that in October 2025, Playtika announced plans to reduce its staff by 20%. Ukrainians were also affected. Prior to this, the company carried out large-scale reductions in the summer.

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