Job losses hit SOE

EverQuest Next has been a hot topic since it was announced and anyone would think that with the excitement surrounding SOE’s upcoming releases jobs would be quite secure.

Sadly this is not the case as staff have been let go at their San Diego and Austin offices. SOE has declined to comment on how many jobs were lost.

A statement from SOE’s Linda Carlson which was posted this evening reads:

Today we announced a reduction in our workforce at SOE. As a company, our goal is to focus on our core expertise of MMO games and as part of these efforts, we had to make the difficult decision to eliminate positions to help reduce costs, streamline our employee base and strategically align resources towards our current portfolio of games and upcoming slate of MMOs, including EverQuest Next Landmark and EverQuest Next. We deeply value our employees and are grateful for all they’ve contributed to our company and games. They will be missed by colleagues and friends, and we wish them well in the future.

Out of respect for our employees, we request that you do not discuss personnel matters on our forums. Thank you for your understanding.”

SOE is the latest developer to “streamline” their operations which is understandable considering the current financial climate.

SOE’s John Smedley also commented on the layoffs this evening and he doesn’t sound a happy cjap.

Sorry to say that we did have layoffs. We’re still moving forward with all our current games and games in development, including Everquest Next and other unannounced titles. The people who got laid off are very good people. Very sorry this happened 🙁 Layoffs suck. these are really, really good people who don’t deserve this.

Thanks Gamasutra.