While SEGA of America is in a good position, they already have a labor union, the European division is not so lucky. Today it was revealed that the company behind Sonic has sold remains And if that’s not enough, 240 people across the region will lose their jobs.
In an unexpected statement, SEGA revealed that Relic, the studio famous for the Company of Heroes series, will no longer be part of its group. This means that this party will become an independent organization. Unfortunately, that’s not all, as Sega Europe joins the terrible wave of layoffs that has affected the video game industry over the past year.
total, There are 240 layoffs across Creative Assembly and Sega Europe, as well as a “small number” of cuts at Sega Hardlight.. It is unknown at this point whether any other teams in the United Kingdom, such as Two Point Studios and Sports Interactive, will suffer the same fate. In this regard, Jürgen Post, director of Sega Europe, made the following comments:
“Sega is working closely with Relic on this transition and we wish them the best for the future.
I sincerely apologize for the anxiety and understandable distress caused by this news, especially for those who will be directly affected. These decisions were incredibly difficult to make and resulted from careful consideration and discussion with leadership teams across the company. The change is necessary to secure the future of our gaming business and ensure we are well positioned to deliver the best possible experience to our players in the future.
We need to rationalize, focus on what we are good at, and position ourselves as best we can for the path ahead. To achieve this, we must respond to the changing economic landscape and the challenges we face in developing and bringing our products to market.”
There are no canceled projects at this time, or similar layoffs in the United States and Japan. Undoubtedly, a rather sad decision that shows us the dire state the video game industry is in right now. On a related note, these aren’t SEGA’s first layoffs Likewise, the new Crazy Taxi will be a AAA production.
Editor’s note:
It’s a real shame. Relic is a great studio, and their work with the Age of Empires series was incredible. It’s unknown who owns Company of Heroes at the moment, but it could be some time before we see a new installment.
Through: GamesIndustry.biz