Last week, mobile developer Rumble Games (or R Studios) closed its doors, laying off 36 people. According to senior web architect David Bethune, the hammer came down from parent company Forte.
"This is [Forte's] second recent studio axing after Phoenix Labs got this treatment a few weeks ago," wrote Bethune. He added that the now ex-staff will only receive a single month of severance.
Founded in 2011, Rumble was known for a number of free-to-play mobile games like Towers & Titans. At this moment, it's unclear if the title will be kept operational, and what studio will continue development if that's the case.
Bethune also shared some thoughts on his former employer, and Rumble's previous owner Aristocrat. To him, both studios were "ruthless about pursuing mythical future profits while they can the teams that actually make things."
His words echo previous statements made amidst the industry's layoff spree in recent years. Back in March, Dwarf Fortress designer Tarn Adams said layoffs were conducted by "greedy, greedy" executives driven by incentives to cut staff when possible.
"I'm tired of it!" Bethune continued. "I'm worried about my career. I'm worried about my bank account! My heart goes out to all my teammates. You'll always be in my crew and I wish every one of you swift success in getting in somewhere better!"
Other employees similarly mourned the lost studio. Its closure comes not long after the passing of CEO Mark Spenner, whose loss they admitted makes the closure hurt even more.
"Mark kept the studio running and fostered a healthy productive work environment," recalled VFX artist John Beebe. "I'll miss him and the studio."
"The last three years...changed my life in a number of overwhelmingly positive ways," added producer Darius Germano. "It saddens me that our tower defense game, Towers & Titans, will not achieve the glory it deserved."
Update: This post has been changed to clarify that Rumble was made up of 36 staffers, not 200, and we regret the error.
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