Alex Segura, senior VP of marketing and sales, Henry Barajas, sales manager, and senior editor were all laid off. Senior VP of games and operations Steve Ellis is one of the last senior staff. Two weeks ago, publisher James Lucas Jones and creative/business development VP Charlie Chu were let go, both of whom were supposed to moderate Oni's panels at the convention.
With rumors of a skeleton crew operating at Oni, comic creators currently working with the company have made their feelings clear about the situation. The lack of communication has led to comics creators warning one another to protect their work and ensure they have everything they need to take their work elsewhere.
DJ Kirkland, an artist who created the Oni series Black Mage with writer Daniel Barnes, noted that Oni's radio silence on the matter is nothing new, as the company was frustratingly silent when they were being acquired. After merging with Lion Forge, Oni laid off nine of its collective staff, a move that received a lot of backlash from the comics community. Oni has been accused of not paying their staff on time. This has been happening for a long time. We loved working for the Oni Press.
Oni Press said in a statement that the accusations were "wildly sensationalistic rumors and false information" and that they were proud of their long history in the business. Thanks in part to a "new framework" for the company actively being worked on, Oni claims an "exciting future" is in store. Senior VP of games and operations Steve Ellis is one of the last senior staff.
As the story develops, we will have more.
It was reported by Games Radar.
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