Starhawk dev to become a ‘much smaller studio’ after layoffs

Starhawk developer LightBox Interactive has laid off 24 staff members to better focus on its first iOS game.

The Texas-based company, which worked on Starhawk for PlayStation 3 (released earlier this year), is undergoing "a sizable reduction in staff," company president Dylan Jobe told Joystiq. Tomorrow is the last day for the employees, who are receiving severance packages.

"Layoffs always suck, but they are an unfortunate reality of business sometimes," said Jobe. "The best we can do is try and treat our people with respect during the shocking transition of a layoff."

LightBox had employed 45 artists, designers, programmers, and production staff. The studio was founded by former members of Incognito Entertainment, which developed games such as Warhawk, Twisted Metal: Black, and War of the Monsters, among others.

Starhawk is their first release as LightBox Interactive. The company has yet to announce its current project, an unnamed game for iOS.

Layoffs also hit Lionhead Studios this week, shortly after its release of Fable: The Journey.

Follow @wita on Twitter.