Struggling HQ Trivia Lays Off Staff Amid Plunging Downloads and Internal Chaos
HQ Trivia reduces its workforce by approximately 20% as monthly downloads plummet 92% compared to last year. The cuts follow a failed mutiny against the CEO and leave the company short-handed ahead of a new subscription launch.
HQ Trivia lays off about 20 percent of its staff as the once-popular live game show app experiences a massive 92 percent drop in downloads compared to the previous year. The recent cuts affect the company's human resources, marketing, and product engineering teams, leaving the startup with fewer than 30 employees as it attempts to launch a $9.99 monthly subscription for its HQ Words spinoff game.
These layoffs follow a period of intense internal turmoil, including a failed mutiny where 20 staffers signed a letter demanding the removal of co-founder Rus Yusupov. After discovering the petition, Yusupov fires two of the ringleaders, an action that further sinks company morale and accelerates the departure of key executives like the SVP of brand partnerships.
The company struggles to maintain its early momentum following the tragic death of co-founder Colin Kroll and the exit of original host Scott Rogowsky. New games teased in April fail to materialize, causing the app to plummet to No. 731 in the U.S. iOS game rankings while the board continues its search for a new CEO to replace Yusupov.