In the wake of big layoffs, Gree International opens 2 new studios

Gree International, the San Francisco-based Western arm of Japanese mobile game giant Gree, has opened a pair of new studios in Germany and Australia after laying off roughly 30 percent of its staff last week.

The company's new Berlin office will be focused on marketing and business development work in Europe, while its new Melbourne studio will be spun up around Gree International's acquisition of Australian mobile game maker Twiitch (Heroes of War: Orcs vs. Knights), whose founders will now lead Gree Melbourne.

This is in line with what a source involved in last week's layoffs told Gamasutra about Gree International's plans to relocate some of its internal game development efforts outside the U.S. and focus more on publishing and supporting existing mobile games.

The company itself also addressed the recent wave of layoffs in a press release announcing its new ventures:

"Last week GREE announced staffing changes to hard reset the business and align operations with current development goals. With this shift, the company is choosing to double down on its strengths, which includes LTV game development, live operations, franchise and marketing leadership," read the announcement. "It will complement those strengths by embarking on four new initiatives which includes a dedicated focus on Europe, innovating mobile game technology, introducing a new leadership team, and re-configuring the San Francisco office."