Relic Entertainment, the developer behind real-time strategy series like Warhammer 40,000, Company of Heroes, and Age of Empires, announced April 4 that they had laid off a number of their staff after becoming an independent studio last week.
According to a LinkedIn post from Robyn Smale, Relic’s External Development Producer, the layoffs totaled 41 people. Relic said that the laid off employees would receive severance packages, extended benefits, and outplacement support options.
Relic announced their separation from Sega on March 28, as they were sold to an independent external investor. Both parties were affected by the sale; IGN reported that Sega Europe laid off around 240 employees after the deal went through.
“We have an important announcement for our players and fans. With an external investor, Relic Entertainment will become an independently-run development studio,” the announcement post said. “This is a huge change for us, but one thing does not change: we want to create amazing experiences for our players.”
“Following last week’s announcement of Relic becoming an independent studio, today we have some difficult news,” Relic’s post about the layoffs said. “Earlier today we shared details with Relicans about a layoff.”
“Letting people go was not an easy decision, and was made solely with the goal of providing Relic the best possible chance to survive in an increasingly volatile industry,” they continued. “It does not in any way reflect the expertise, passion, or character of any of the impacted employees.”
Last year, the studio laid off 121 employees as part of restructuring efforts to focus on their core franchises. Relic’s LinkedIn page says that it has somewhere between 201 and 500 employees, meaning these cuts represent a significant portion of its staff.
“It’s been a bumpy road lately, so to most, this is no surprise. But still a shame, nonetheless,” Smale wrote. “These situations really suck and my heart breaks to see so many of us get separated.”