Video game cancellations are not exactly uncommon, and sadly, they often go hand-in-hand with the developers working on those projects. In November last year, it was reported that the unannounced sci-fi open world title that Mafia developer Hangar 13 had been working on had been shelved, and now, the other shoe has dropped.
2K Games has confirmed that Hangar 13 has been hit with layoffs across all of its studios- Novato, California; Brighton, UK; and Prague and Brno in the Czech Republic. Apparently, as many as nearly 50 people out of 87 staff have lost their jobs in the Novato studio.
While there’s no word on how heavily the other studios were impacted, as per a Kotaku report, Nick Baynes – who recently took charge of Hangar 13 following former studio head Haden Blackman’s departure – has said those at the other studios who have lost their jobs can seek transfers to other teams under 2K ownership.
“2K is fully committed to the future of Hangar 13 as the studio navigates a challenging but ultimately promising transition period,” a 2K spokesperson said in a statement (via GamesIndustry). “As part of our ongoing evaluations to ensure our resources are aligned with our goals, we have made some changes that have resulted in a reduction of positions and parting ways with some colleagues.
“These decisions are always difficult. We are doing all we can to work with the impacted employees to find them new roles on other projects and teams at 2K, and are providing full support to those who cannot be redeployed, connecting them with industry networks and resources to find new opportunities outside of 2K.”
There has been no official word on what Hangar 13 is working on next, but according to reports, the studio is developing a new Mafia game that will serve as prequel to the first three instalments. Meanwhile, Hangar 13’s Prague studio is also said to be working on a new instalment in the Top Spin franchise.