Slant Six Hit With 'Temporary' Layoffs

Vancouver-based Slant Six, developer of three SOCOM: US Navy SEALs games, has reportedly instituted a round of "temporary layoffs" affecting an undisclosed number of employees. The studio's managing director, Brian Thalken, confirmed the news to consumer site GameSpot yesterday. He told the site that "our current project needs do not align with our current staffing levels." However, he said the studio hopes that "as many of these staff members as possible" can reclaim their jobs once it begins staffing up again, and the affected employees will continue to receive extended benefits in the meanwhile. The company launched its most recent title, the Sony-published SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3, on the PlayStation Portable in February. It's been focused on SOCOM franchise titles since its founding in 2005; in addition to the US Navy SEALs titles, it launched Tactical Strike for PSP in 2007. Thalken did not specify what the studio's currently working on, nor when it plans to rebuild staffing levels.