Guild Wars 2 developer ArenaNet will be making “staff reductions” in the wake of unannounced projects being canceled. A report by Kotaku based on an internal email from NCSoft (which is the parent company for ArenaNet) initially revealed that “significant” number of employees would be released. After PC Gamer inquired about the same, ArenaNet issued an official statement.
“We can confirm that due to the cancellation of unannounced projects, ArenaNet will make staff reductions,” the statement reads. “This is part of a larger organizational restructuring within NCSOFT in the west, but the Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 game services will not be affected, nor is any upcoming game content canceled.” The number of employees that would be laid off was not revealed.
The “organizational restructuring” mentioned in the report probably refers to the merger between the publishing divisions for both companies. However, there was no mention about NCSoft’s live service revenue “declining as our franchises age” or mobile creating “further drains against our revenue projects”. On the bright side, it doesn’t seem like Guild Wars 2 is in any danger of shutting down.
Guild Wars 2 first released as a paid MMO sans subscription model in 2012. It went free to play in 2015 after numerous content updates, and also received two major expansions. Heart of Thorns arrived in 2015, followed by Path of Fire in 2017. Though the MMO’s popularity isn’t exactly through the roof, especially compared to stalwarts like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, it continues to receive support. Time will tell if things change, especially following this restructuring.