Dune: Awakening developer Funcom has announced that it will lay off a number of employees, despite the fact that the survival MMO has been the studio's most successful launch to date.
As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the Oslo-based developer will let an undisclosed number of staff members go in order to "restructure [its] teams and focus [its] resources from across projects and studios".
Funcom says this is needed because of the move to shift Dune: Awakening "from development to long-term live operation", which, to me, sounds rather like NetEase's shutting down of its Seattle studio after Marvel Rivals' release, although whether a proportionate number of employees will be affected is unclear.
In fact, in the statement given to GI.biz by Funcom, the studio brags about Dune: Awakening's success, declaring that it has "shown incredible potential" and that it was "the biggest release" Funcom has enjoyed in its 32-year history.
To me, announcing how successful your latest game has been and then immediately revealing that you're laying off a tranche of employees comes across as rather unforgivably gauche, but perhaps I just don't have a corporation's perspective on things.
Of course, Funcom is right to say Dune: Awakening has been a...
