CCP closes 2 studios as it backs away from VR development

EVE Online developer CCP has announced that it plans to end its VR development efforts and close two of its development studios in the process according to the Iceland Monitor. 

The decision to step away from VR will affect roughly 100 developers and employees at the company through the closure of its Atlanta-based studio and the planned sale of its UK-based Newcastle branch. 

A translation of the Iceland Monitor’s story notes that some employees may be offered positions elsewhere in the company, though the closures eliminate its only US-based studio and cut its UK presence in half. Following the closure and sale, CCP’s remaining offices will include its Shanghai location, a studio in London, and its HQ in Reykjavik. 

As always, if you or someone you know has been affected by these layoffs, you can email Gamasutra to share your story confidentially.

Speaking with the Iceland Monitor, CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson said that the decision to back away from VR development comes coupled with a new focus on creating PC and mobile games. While he notes that he still has “faith in virtual reality in the long run,” CCP plans to focus on the areas where it sees more opportunities for growth. 

"It's always hard to do such actions,” reads a translated comment from Pétursson. “But they are important and if we want the company to reach 30 years, we sometimes need to make policy and organizational changes.”

CCP had previously developed four VR titles: EVE: Valkyrie, Sparc, Gunjack, and Gunjack 2.