Telltale Games restructures, cuts 90 staff
The layoffs represent about 25% of the workforce and won't affect previously announced projects
Telltale Games, the episodic games developer behind hits like The Walking Dead and Minecraft Story Mode, has unfortunately announced a round of layoffs today, cutting 25% of its workforce, impacting 90 individuals effective immediately.
The company-wide restructuring is taking place to "make the company more competitive as a developer and publisher of groundbreaking story-driven gaming experiences with an emphasis on high quality in the years ahead." Representatives said that the restructuring should not have any impact on any of the developer's previously announced projects.
"Our industry has shifted in tremendous ways over the past few years. The realities of the environment we face moving forward demand we evolve, as well, reorienting our organization with a focus on delivering fewer, better games with a smaller team," said Telltale Games CEO Pete Hawley.
"I'd like to express our respect for all the contributions that these incredibly talented artists, storytellers and more have made to this company, and that this decision is in no way a reflection on the quality or dedication of their work. We have made available our full career assistance services to help our affected colleagues and friends - and their families - navigate this difficult transition as quickly as possible."
Telltale Games added that along with its restructuring it intends to move internal development over to "more proven technologies that will fast-track innovation in its core products as it works with new partners to bring its games to new audiences."
An exact reason for the layoffs was not explicitly stated, but it could be that Telltale became a little too large for its own good, with around 400 employees (before today) and a number of licensed projects like Batman, Guardians of the Galaxy, Game of Thrones, etc.