Carbine Studios struck hard by NCSoft layoffs

WildStar publisher NCsoft has admitted to laying off a number of people at Carbine Studios and its other Western holdings as part of a restructuring initiative. A handful of developers affected by the layoffs have been sharing the news on Twitter, though the full extent of the cutback is yet unclear. An NCSoft representative told Polygon that the layoffs are affecting all of the company's Western operations, with the exception of Guild Wars 2 developer ArenaNet. An unnamed source told Polygon that WildStar developer Carbine Studios is bearing the brunt of the cuts, losing an estimated 60+ developers from its staff. Gamasutra has reached out to NCSoft and Carbine for confirmation and more information on the layoffs. If you or someone you know is involved and would like to share the story in confidence, please contact us via [email protected]. We've taken the liberty of reprinting NCSoft's public statement below: "Today we announced a restructuring of key operations within NC West. As a result of this restructuring, we are implementing staff reductions across our Western operations with the exclusion of ArenaNet. While decisions like this are always hard, they are necessary as we begin the implementation of a new strategy designed to strengthen our footing as a leader in global entertainment. Moving forward, we will continue to focus on our core development capabilities and the intellectual properties (WildStar, Aion, Lineage, and Guild Wars franchises) that have made NCSOFT what it is today. However, we are looking to move into new business segments like mobile and tablet games as well as explore emerging technologies. Again, the decision to reduce staff was not an easy one, and we sincerely wish everyone well in their next endeavors."