Avalanche Studios Group (Avalanche), the developer behind the action-adventure series Just Cause, recently closed its office in Liverpool, England. The 31 employees working at the location were laid off, in addition to less severe layoffs in two other Avalanche offices. The closure follows the cancellation of Avalanche’s game Contraband.
Avalanche Liverpool’s closure was first announced at the end of September. In order to “best ensure Avalanche Studios Group’s long-term success,” Avalanche proposed closing their Liverpool studio. The closure would make the role of every employee at the Liverpool location redundant. A smaller portion of employees at Avalanche offices in Malamö and Stockholm would also be laid off.
In adherence with UK law, Avalanche also initiated a collective consultation process, which is a series of meetings with trade union personnel or employee representatives. Avalanche concluded the post by saying their “immediate focus is to offer full support to Avalanchers during this time” and that the company remained “deeply committed to providing amazing games to our passionate community.”
On November 19th, Avalanche officially announced that the Liverpool studio has been closed. During the process, the studio laid off 31 people. The post goes on to thank the laid off employees for their “dedication and invaluable contributions to Avalanche Studios Group.” The update concludes with an affirmation that the company will continue to support “Avalanchers through this transition and…carry on making great games for our player communities.”
The Avalanche Liverpool closure and layoffs follow the cancellation of Avalanche’s co-op shooter game Contraband. During development, Avalanche worked with Xbox Game Studios Publishing, with Contraband being planned Xbox and PC exclusive title. The game was announced over four years ago in 2021 and was officially cancelled this past August. Similar cancellations affected other Xbox titles, such as the Perfect Dark reboot and Everwild.
The specific reasons behind Avalanche Liverpool’s closure is currently unclear. Additionally, with Contraband’s cancellation, it remains to be seen what games Avalanche will develop next.