3rd Mafia Studio Hangar 13 has had a new round of layoffs

Hangar 13 can’t stop. studio behind Mafia IIIwhich has suffered multiple rounds of layoffs in the years since its 2016 launch, is once again on the cutting edge. Kotaku I learned that in addition to the constant stream of departures, developers have been laid off across the studio’s three global locations, with nearly 50 layoffs at the Hangar 13 office in Novato, California. This news comes shortly after former studio chief Haden Blackman resigned earlier this month.

“I know it’s bad,” Nick Baines, Blackman’s successor, head of Hangar 13’s Brighton office in the UK, told Novato employees at today’s meeting, according to a recording he obtained. Kotaku. “I’m sorry I’m not there to get this message across. I’m coming soon. I know you need some local leadership and structure and we’re working on that.”

Of the approximately 87 employees currently hired at the Novato facility, fewer than 50 will be laid off, according to a source familiar with the decision. when Mafia III The Novato studio was originally shipped, and had over 100 full-time employees.

A 2K spokesperson confirmed the layoffs in a statement, but did not comment further:

2K is fully committed to the future of Hangar 13 as the studio navigates a challenging but ultimately promising transition. As part of our ongoing evaluations to ensure our resources are aligned with our goals, we have made some changes that have resulted in job cuts and ways to separate from some colleagues. These decisions are always difficult. We do our best to work with impacted employees to find new roles for them on other 2K projects and teams, fully support those who cannot be redeployed, and connect them with industry and resource networks to find new opportunities outside 2K.

after charging Mafia III, Hangar 13, which also includes a 2K Czech relic, is a prototype of a number of native IP addresses. But the studio Facing layoffs in 2017 and 2018and eventually saw the cancellation of most of its new projects, including one codenamed Volt, which parent company Take-Two quietly closed last November despite having already invested more than $50 million. Rapid cancellations have left hundreds of developers without a project.

Since then, many developers in Hangar 13 have been aimlessly switching from one Take-Two game to another. Like Kotaku I mentioned earlier this monthThe Brighton office is currently leading the early production of a new device mafia A prequel to be built in Unreal Engine 5. The game is currently planned in Italy. But Take-Two also treats Hangar 13 as an “in-source” studio, using it to help develop its other published games such as Wonders of Tiny TinaAnd Kerbal Space 2And Midnight from Marvel.

Since the developers have finished their assignments on some of these projects, some have been moved to mafia prefix. Others have joined the ‘HUMMER Project’ which Kotaku Understands that the return of the beloved Top Spin Tennis series, which is expected to be launched before the new mafia. Bynes said during the meeting that the plan is for Hangar 13 to focus almost exclusively on each of these franchises moving forward.

Some of the remaining developers have been jumping ship, and it now appears that 2K has made the decision to lay off the rest. It’s not clear the extent of the overseas layoffs, but Bynes said on the call that those affected may look to move into other positions within the larger 2K organization.

“I hope as many of you are possible, but I hope that as many of you as possible will stick with us and give us some time to make things right and better in the future,” he said during the meeting. “But I understand it may have been a rough time recently that culminated in some news yesterday.”

One big question is whether there will be more layoffs in the future. But Baines tried to play down those concerns. “Anyone who’s still here, we want you here as part of our future,” he said.

Update: 5/26/22 3:07 PM ET: Comment added by 2K.