Driveclub experienced a rather shaky release on PlayStation 4 last year. Releasing a year late, with multiplayer being effectively broken at launch, key features missing and mixed reviews - not to mention the missing free version of the game, which could now never see the light of day - developer Evolution nethertheless weathered the storm with aplomb, delivering frequent updates. Today, the racing game just about lives up to its pre-release promises - but it hasn’t spared the studio from experiencing drastic layoffs, according to sources.
Almost half of the studio’s staff is due to to laid off, according to sources - 55 people in total. Last week, Sony confirmed that the studio was undergoing a restructure and confirmed that layoffs would be part of those measures; but such drastic cuts to staffing size will leave many concerned about the developer’s future.
“We will be looking to relocate team members throughout the studios, but unfortunately some redundancies will be necessary and in those cases we will assist staff in any way we can,” Sony said at the time.
Some redundancies. Putting half the studio out of a job is a little more than “some”, we’d say.
It’s easy to see this move as punishment for Driveclub‘s launh-window failings, but Sony is remaining tight-lipped on the move and so far has not confirmed the numbers involved. A studio shedding staff after the completion of a major project is relatively routine in the game industry, but rarely in such drastic numbers.
We wish all those affected the very best, and we’ll be sure to bring more news on the matter as and when we get it.
Dale Morgan
@spamdangled
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