WildStar developer Carbine Studios suffers significant layoffs

WildStar developer Carbine Studios has let go of nearly half its staff following the cancellation of plans to release its sci-fi MMO in China.

The news comes to us from a forum post authored by publisher NCSoft, who said the layoffs stem from both the cancellation of WildStar’s Chinese release and the game’s overall performance since it launched in 2014. Notably, WildStar shifted from subscriptions to a free-to-play business model just six months ago.

“These kinds of decisions are exceptionally difficult,” NCSoft said. “The talented and passionate professionals who are impacted by these cuts have been valuable team members and respected colleagues. We wish everyone well for the future and will be providing severance and employment search assistance.”

It wasn't specified exactly how many employees have been cut, but sources close to Polygon suggest roughly 70 staff members were affected—around 40 percent of Carbine’s total workforce.

Nevertheless, NCSoft says they are committed to “operating and updating WildStar as a live game in the U.S. and Europe.”

“Over the next few weeks and months we will deliver a significant update to the game, kick off a variety of community events, and continue our work on new content that we will talk more about in the future,” the publisher added.

Source: NCSoft on WildStar forums

Via: Polygon