2K Games Developer Hangar 13 Hit With Layoffs
Unfortunately the month of February has seen a few companies hit by hard times, including Nexon, publisher of Lawbreakers, and Capcom Vancouver, publisher of the Dead Rising games. Now, a third company has joined the list. Hangar 13, the developer behind the popular title Mafia III, has recently been hit with some pretty large layoffs.
Despite the popularity of Mafia III, the developer could not escape the rising trend of layoffs. And this comes after significant success with their first title, Mafia III, where it had sold over 5 million copies after just 6 months on the market. Though Hangar 13 did not specify how many people have been laid off, it is rumored to be a large majority of the staff. Publisher 2K Games has confirmed these layoffs. “2K can confirm that there have been staff reductions at Hangar 13 in order to ensure that the studio’s resources are properly aligned with its long-term development plans. These reductions will not influence 2K’s ability to create and deliver its products that are currently in development. We never take these matters lightly, and are working with the affected employees to support them and explore potential opportunities throughout our organization.” This was addressed by a company spokesperson said in a email to Kotaku.
The Hangar 13 studio is based out of Novato, California, where they have spent the last year trying to figure out what they would be moving onto in the future. One of the potential ideas included a third-person action title with a “fight to music” system where your movements would create songs. This idea was recently discarded. This comes from someone who is familiar with the company.
Though it’s uncertain what the future holds for Hangar 13, our thoughts go out to those affected by these layoffs. What do you think about this news? Keep it locked as this story continues to unfold.