You probably expected this after news broke out earlier that Capcom had suspended all projects and development at the studio, but it seems like the publisher will be closing down Capcom Vancouver, the Canadian subsidiary primarily known for its work on the Dead Rising series, entirely.
In statement made to Kotaku, Capcom said that the decision was made after an internal review, and the decision to focus the development of its major titles in Japan. Unfortunately, 158 people – a staggering number – will be losing their jobs as a result of this shutdown.
“As a result of reviewing titles in development at Capcom Vancouver, Capcom has decided to cancel the development projects at this studio and will concentrate development of major titles in Japan. A skeleton crew will remain until January 2019 to finalize closure operations and logistics,” the rep said.
This is a major shame, honestly. Dead Rising 4 underperformed, but there was always a chance for the studio to come back in a big way with its next game, a chance that they will now not have. Unfortunately, with game development being as expensive as it is, and Capcom being a financially constrained company, you can see why the decision was made to let Capcom Vancouver go.
I just hope that the people affected as a result of this closure can get back on their feet as soon as possible.