Today Trion Worlds, the developer and publisher of MMORPGs such as Rift and Defiance 2050, was reportedly sold to German publisher Gamigo. According to a report by Gamasutra, the company, which has been around since 2006, has suffered massive layoffs as a result. Though unconfirmed, the report noted that the staff of over 200 has been reduced to just 25, affecting both the company’s offices located in Redwood City, California and Austin, Texas. An official statement has been released by Trion Worlds via their Rift forums:

Greetings — We can confirm that there has been a transaction involving Trion Worlds and its games.

While many of the names and faces you’ve come to know in our studios will remain on through this transition, others will not be making the journey. To those who are leaving us, we are forever grateful for your incredible work and contributions over the years.

The statement assured players who have enjoyed their games in the past would still be in capable hands with the new owners. The statement makes it apparent that the transition comes with heavy hearts and that the employees, both gone and remaining, cared deeply for their fan base and enjoyed interacting with them. “From spending time with you in game, to seeing you at conventions, to talking with you on livestreams and forums, it’s been our pleasure to be a part of this exceptional community with you,” the post states. While the company will undoubtedly lose a lot of public faces, they are proud of the accomplishments they have made and hope those who play their games, as they “continue to enjoy playing them far into the future!”

Gamigo, based in Hamburg, Germany, which focuses mainly on free-to-play browser games, is rumored to have acquired both Trion and its full lineup of games: Rift, Defiance (recently relaunched as Defiance 2050), End of Nations, Archeage, Trove, Devilian, and Atlas Reactor. It is unclear whether support for the games will continue indefinitely, but the official statement by Trion claims that support will continue for the time being. There has still been no word on the acquisition from Gamigo.