Evolution Studios, known for DriveClub and to a larger extent for its MotorStorm franchise, has been shuttered. The decision was taken by parent company Sony in a recent studio review.
As per Games Industry International, Sony released a statement discussing its decision. “Regular reviews take place throughout SCE Worldwide Studios, ensuring that the resources that we have in such a competitive landscape can create and produce high quality, innovative and commercially viable projects. As part of this process we have reviewed and assessed all current projects and plans for the short and medium term and have decided to make some changes to the European studios structure.
“As a result, it has been decided that Evolution Studio will close. It is regrettable that this decision will lead to compulsory redundancies. We accept that this decision will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff but by focusing on other Studios that already have exciting new projects in development we believe we will be in a stronger position going forward and able to offer the best possible content of the highest quality for our consumers.
Sony will work on finding other positions for its staff on existing projects and even reaching out to other employers. “Where possible we will try to reallocate people onto other projects. If appropriate opportunities are not possible within the company, we will assist staff in any way we can, including speaking with local employers and with other development companies.”
DriveClub has had a rather hard history – it was delayed by a year from its initial release date and faced several issues at launch. Despite improvements over time, Evolution Studios laid off 55 employees last year. Lay-offs are always a bummer in the industry and we wish the employees the best in finding other opportunities.