Trion Worlds has issued a round of layoffs. The Redwood City, California-based studio focuses on developing and publishing massively multiplayer online role-playing games.
Trion’s projects include fantasy MMOs like ArcheAge and Rift. The company’s latest project is an updated version of its online sci-fi game Defiance. The original launched in 2013, but the updated Defiance 2050, came out on July 10.
We’ve reached out to Trion Worlds for a statement and asked how many people were laid off.
“We’ve had to make the difficult decision to eliminate 15 positions throughout the company,” Trion told GamesBeat. “We are extremely grateful for those who have been impacted for their hard work and contributions to Trion Worlds, and will be offering each of them severance benefits and job placement assistance. This is not related to the performance of the individuals affected nor of Trion Worlds as a whole, but was necessary to enable us to develop the upcoming projects that we have planned in the best ways possible.”
Employees impacted by the layoffs are talking about them on social media.
https://twitter.com/lukewarmdogg/status/1020048953063149570
Trion also created Atlas Reactor, a multiplayer turn-based tactics game. It launched for PC in 2016. Just last month, Trion acquired Gazillion’s assets. Gazillion was behind the multiplayer action-RPG Marvel Heroes until the company closed last November.
“We want ourselves and other developers be able to make games and succeed and have sustainable life cycles,” Trion chief executive officer Scott Hartsman told GamesBeat in June when talking about the acquisition. “Crunch and burn and lay off is unhealthy. We have tried to do things about it and we want to be a good member of the gaming ecology. We keep trying to do things to help other developers.”