14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher Square Enix announces that it has laid off about 20 developers from the Eidos Montreal studio, who have just launched the new, rebooted version of the classic Thief experience.
The company says that the move was a normal one given the business cycle associated with game development and that it is trying to offer as much support as possible to those who have been let go.
An official statement from the publisher offered to Rock, Paper, Shotgun states, "We’re trying to re-locate as many people as possible into other roles here or at our other studios and we’ve been in touch several studios in Montreal to arrange a career day for those affected by this. We’re very thankful for all their hard work and we sincerely wish them well."
Thief was launched last week and has received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the way if manages to capture the spirit of the stealth-based series while others believe that neither the story nor the gameplay is satisfying.
Rumors are saying that Eidos Montreal was working on a new title in conjunction with one of the studios that Square Enix has in Japan and that the experience was recently canceled.