Israeli mobile games developer and publisher Playtika has announced worldwide cuts and around 250 employee layoffs, equivalent to roughly six per cent of its workforce, as it prepares to close three development studios, as reported by Globes.
New titles developered by the three studios, based in Montreal, Canada, Los Angeles, US, and London, UK, have been cancelled and remaining responsibilities have been moved to its Israel operations.
Studio restructure
The changes at the company are not expected to negatively affect the firm’s operations in Israel and Germany and its development teams in Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, and Romania.
Playtika reported having 4,000 employees last month, and the now-closing casual games studio in London had aimed to scale up to 150 employees. Business development staff there are expected to be retained.
The Los Angeles studio, Seriously, was originally created in Finland and led development of Best Fiends. While Playtika’s Montreal-based location was previously among its leading studios, leading on World Series of Poker.
A Playtika spokesperson stated: “The company is working to unify parts of its activities. Consequently, development centres in London and Montreal will be closed. The activities of the Seriously studio in Los Angeles will be transferred to Israel and Poland.
“The studio in Los Angeles will be closed and closing the studio in Helsinki is being considered, out of belief that there is large potential for the game that has not yet been realised.”
Playtika isn’t the only developer closing studios. Nintendo closed offices in California and Toronto late last year, meanwhile indie studio Force of Habit closed last week.
