Layoffs reported at Harry Potter dev Jam City
Mobile studio loses unknown number of staff as efforts focus on Hogwarts Mystery
Jam City has suffered a number of redundancies, although details on the full impact are minimal.
Gamasutra cites a source that has said various positions have been trimmed over the past few weeks, but there is no confirmed number on how many employees have been affected.
GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Jam City, but the studio declined to comment.
It's believed that this is part of the studio shifting focus towards Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, the free-to-play narrative adventure that launched last month. It's likely those made redundant were in positions that are unnecessary to the ongoing support of this title, which is sure to be a key source of revenue for Jam City in the coming years.
In fact, Jam City had a new starter only yesterday - VP of narrative Ryan Kaufman - suggesting the studio may not be in dire straits. Similarly, a quick glance at the company's webiste shows several vacancies on its Careers page.
Nonetheless, it's always disappointing to hear of job losses. These apparently also extend to TinyCo, the Jam City subsidiary behind Marvel Avengers Academy. Reports suggest only a "skeleton crew" remains at the studio to continue operating mobile city builder Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery allows players to create their own wizarding student and work through a story that serves as a prequel to JK Rowling's famous novels. It prompted concerns at our sister publication Eurogamer upon release with regards to its monetisation system.