On May 24, 2012, an email went out to everyone who worked for 38 Studios. Written by Bill Thomas, the kindly chief operating officer and Curt Schilling’s wife’s uncle, the email was bizarrely cold:
The Company is experiencing an economic downturn. To avoid further losses and possibility of retrenchment, the Company has decided that a company-wide lay off is absolutely necessary. These layoffs are non-voluntary and non-disciplinary.
This is your official notice of lay off, effective today, Thursday,
May 24th, 2012.
They didn’t get severance or even their last several paychecks. Bill Thomas got paid over $400,000 that year. He’s Curt Schilling’s uncle-in-law.