Guild Wars 2 developer ArenaNet reportedly prepares for mass layoffs

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NCSoft CEO Songyee Yoon sent out an email to ArenaNet employees today reporting the news, according to Kotaku. “Our live game business revenue is declining as our franchises age, delays in development on PC and mobile have created further drains against our revenue projects, while our operating costs in the west have increased.”

Plans are to restructure, Kotaku’s sources indicate, “merging ArenaNet and NCSoft’s publishing divisions in the process.” ArenaNet CEO Mike O’Brien is supposed to meet with employees to discuss the layoffs this afternoon. The studio has reportedly been at work on various unannounced projects, but slow progress on those projects has put financial pressure on the company.

 

Exactly how many employees will be affected remains unclear, but about 400 people work at ArenaNet.

A churn of layoffs in the game industry has continued throughout the past year, including the 800 people laid off at Activision-Blizzard last week. In the wake of that news, many companies in the game industry reached out to offer new game dev job opportunities to those affected. ArenaNet was one of them.

Calls for unionisation in the game industry from organisations like Game Workers Unite have gotten increasingly numerous within the past year, especially around the time of these layoff reports, which have been happening with disturbing regularity.

Replies • 20
Planetary

That really sux , simillar happened to blizzard not so long ago.


Planetary

Tragic, at least it doesnt seem to be for a greedy reason like activision blizzard







Planetary

First, NCSoft came for Destination Games, and I did not speak out - because I did not play Dungeon Runners.

Then, NCSoft came for Paragon Studios, and I did not speak out - because I did not play City of Heroes.

Then, NCSoft came for Carbine Studios, and I did not speak out - because I did not play WildStar.

Then NCSoft came for ArenaNet, and I did not speak out - because I did not play GuildWars2.

Who will be left for NCSoft to come for next?

I don't know. I don't play games owned by NCSoft.

#BoycottNCSoft

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Galactic

NCSoft is scum. I think GW2 had been holding rather steady according to their financial reports, while stuff like B&S had been declining steady, yet ArenaNet is the one getting people gutted, while they're busy making two, or three new mobile versions of B&S?

 

Only reason I had been willing to play GW2, is I just couldn't see what the heck NCSoft actually did in relation to it, as ArenaNet seemed to be handling everything in its operation, they didn't even use the standard NCSoft cash shop currency, nor is GW2 listed in the list of NCSoft games on the sites of their other games. But I guess they have enough control that they can fire a mess of people at ArenaNet.

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