Activision have laid off a small portion of Treyarch’s staff in a move to refocus the company’s efforts on Black Ops 2 DLC development. The publisher has been quick to reassure that the “minimal reduction” at the studio won’t derail the release of future Black Ops updates.
“Now that we have launched Black Ops II, we are taking a minimal reduction in staff to better align our development talent against the needs of DLC development,” Activision told IGN. “The release of the DLC will not be impacted by this move.”
The redundancies came as part of a larger shedding of 30 Activision staff – about 0.5% of their global total – as the publisher slowly retreats from licensed game development.
“Like any successful business, Activision Publishing consistently works to align its costs with its revenues – this is an ongoing process,” said a company rep. “In 2013, we expect to release fewer games based on license properties and as a result are realigning our structure to better reflect the market opportunities and our slate.
“We are offering those employees who are impacted outplacement counseling services,” they added.
Treyarch has a long pre-Black Ops history of licensed development, which has seen them put together adaptations of Quantum of Solace and Minority Report, as well as a number of Spider-Man entries. But no longer, apparently.
Are you sorry to see them become The Call of Duty Guys, or the opposite? Unsorry?