Battlefield Hardline developer Visceral Games has been hit with a small number of staff layoffs, though parent company EA is playing things down by calling the job cuts ”a small staffing change.”
Speaking to Gamespot, an EA representative said;
”We made a small staffing change in our Visceral studio today to support the needs of the studio’s two current development priorities: content for Battlefield Hardline Premium and an unannounced Star Wars project. We are working to ensure the smoothest transition possible for the impacted employees.”
Hardline has done decent business since it launched back in March, and Visceral’s upcoming Star Wars game, which has Uncharted creative director Amy Hennig at the helm, is set to be a big hitter for EA. Probably no need to read too much into the layoffs then, but obviously that’s small comfort to those who find themselves out of a job. Here’s hoping they find something else soon.
It’s been something of an odd year for Visceral. VP of fifteen years Steve Papoutsis left the company back in April, after Hardline came out to mixed reviews but a solid commercial performance. The studio hasn’t really has a bona fide hit since 2011’s Dead Space 2, so you sense there’s a fair amount riding on that untitled Star Wars project.