Telltale Games lays off 25% of its staff
To focus on "delivering fewer, better games with a smaller team".
Telltale Games has laid off 90 members of staff - around 25 per cent of its total workforce - the company has announced.
In a statement addressing the move, the episodic-games-focussed studio - perhaps best known for its Walking Dead and Minecraft: Story Mode series of adventure games - said that the redundancies were part of a "comprehensive company restructuring" and to make it "more competitive as a developer and publisher of groundbreaking story-driven gaming experiences with an emphasis on high quality in the years ahead."
Although no explicit reason was given for the lay-offs, Telltale's CEO Pete Hawley said, "Our industry has shifted in tremendous ways over the past few years. The realities of the environment we face moving forward demand we evolve, as well, reorienting our organization with a focus on delivering fewer, better games with a smaller team".
"I'd like to express our respect for all the contributions that these incredibly talented artists, storytellers and more have made to this company," Hawley continued, "and that this decision is in no way a reflection on the quality or dedication of their work. We have made available our full career assistance services to help our affected colleagues and friends - and their families - navigate this difficult transition as quickly as possible."
Once the restructuring is complete, Telltale will "move internal development over to more proven technologies that will fast-track innovation in its core products as it works with new partners to bring its games to new audiences."
The fifth and final episode of Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy released today, along with Episode 4 of its Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two. The studio says that its currently announced upcoming projects, which include a second season of The Wolf Among Us and a final season for The Walking Dead, will not be impacted.