It’s one other day within the games trade, which implies one other bunch of proficient individuals have misplaced their jobs. Guild Wars 2 developer ArenaNet have confirmed that “staff reductions” are being made “due to the cancellation of unannounced projects”. They declare that “the Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 game services will not be affected, nor is any upcoming game content cancelled.” Game: (supposedly) effective. Lives: much less so.
Kotaku have spoken to sources which counsel the corporate was going through some extent of economic bother, although we don’t know the numbers concerned. Nor can we but know the quantity of people that have been laid off.
The layoffs come within the context of “a larger organizational restructuring within NCSoft in the west”, confirmed ArenaNet in a statement to PC Gamer. NCSoft are ArenaNet’s dad or mum firm.
As Kotaku spotlight of their authentic report, NCSoft closed WildStar developer Carbine Studios final September, in addition to starting plans for employees cut-backs at cell studio Iron Tiger. This does make sense within the gentle of their financial earnings call earlier this week, the place they reported that PC income was down.
Kotaku’s report additionally claims that “around 400 people work at ArenaNet, and for the past few years they’ve been working on a number of unannounced projects, according to one person familiar with goings-on at the company. However, that person said, slow development progress combined with a lack of new games in 2018 and 2019 has led to a financial squeeze.”
I don’t discover these layoffs outrageous in fairly the identical approach as Activision’s, who recently laid off 800 people after boasting of “record results” of their final gross sales 12 months. Nevertheless, any claims concerning the necessity of restructuring ought to go alongside a reminder that the salaries of individuals in high firm positions – particularly a conglomerate like NCSoft – might seemingly cowl these of many on the backside rungs.
As Jessica Price, one of many two ArenaNet workers fired over personal tweets last year, notes: management “will skate out of this with golden parachutes, while hardworking people suffer.”
