Square Enix Announces Layoffs, Shifts Development Back to Japan
Square Enix is planning a big change, calling it a "restructuring," which involves moving away from game development in its studios outside of Japan. This move puts over 100 jobs in danger.
A presentation from Square Enix, now available on their website, explains that they're making these changes to strengthen their global publishing and make things run more efficiently.
IGN reports that this is part of a larger effort to focus on game development within Japan and consolidate their publishing efforts.
The company is reportedly informing employees in the UK and the US about potential job losses. While the exact number of affected US jobs isn't known, IGN says that 137 jobs in the UK are at risk.
Square Enix stated that they're reviewing their game development plans to improve development across the company and make the best use of their resources.
As a result, they've decided to close some overseas development studios and concentrate development functions in Japan.
In a statement, Square Enix said they are reorganizing their operations in North America and Europe to improve their development structure and create a unified global marketing plan. They called it a difficult decision made after careful consideration, to position the company for long-term growth.
Square Enix expressed their gratitude to the departing employees for their contributions and promised to treat them with respect and provide support during the transition.
Square Enix has not specified the total number of jobs at risk as part of these changes.
