Last week’s horrific news that NCsoft and ArenaNet would be laying off a large part of the Guild Wars 2 studio and canceling multiple secret projects had a weird sidenote: The corporate execs couldn’t actually tell anyone who was staying and leaving. That meant four days of not knowing, which as anyone who’s ever been in that situation can tell you is worse than just a quick cut.
But now apparently, ArenaNet bosses began letting people go this afternoon, as Twitter has erupted in farewell notices from multiple developers, including fairly prominent ones like Josh Foreman and Gaile Gray, as well as condolences and confirmations that some jobs are intact.
Leaving Anet: Gaile Gray, Josh Foreman, Aaron Linde, Casey Benson, Matthew Medina, Kelsey Pickinpaugh, Connie Griffith, Benjamin Arnold, Grant Gertz, Shuai Liu, Lena Raine, Lily Yu, Elan Stimmel, McKenna Berdrow, Zach Lute, Myranda Byrne, Drew Cady, Cameron Rich, Damian Kastbauer, Evan Teicheira, Paul Ella, Tyler Bearce, Scott Mayhew.
Staying at Anet: Chris Cleary, Jennifer Scheurle, Rubi Bayer, Stephane Lo Presti, Connor Fallon, Samantha Wallschlaeger, Keaven Freeman, Regina Buenaobra, Bobby Stein, Artem Sorokin, Hugh and Melina Norfolk, Eve Eschenbacher, Linsey Murdock, Maclaine Diemer, Chelsea Mills, Jason Byfield, Joseph Clark (I think).
(We’re continuing to add to these lists as people speak up publicly – obviously there are way more people than this affected. Worth noting is that some of these devs suggest they volunteered to take a buyout to leave, while still others will be merging into NCsoft’s marketing branch. Last updated our list at 10:23 p.m. EST on Tuesday, February 26th.)
15+ years is a helluva run in the #videogames industry. Happy trails to those who remain. I'll be following your work and I know I'll be proud of what you accomplish. To my fellow refugees: we've always been like family at #arenanet and chances are we'll be working together again pic.twitter.com/8qBTrH5Xbm
— Josh Foreman (@JoshuaForeman) February 25, 2019
I am sad to tell you that I am no longer an employee of ArenaNet. It's been a wonderful 18+ years, and I have appreciated every one of those years and every single one of the friends I made through the game. I wish everyone at ArenaNet a fantastic future — I love you all.
— Gaile Gray (@GaileGray) February 25, 2019
They fired 2/3 of the web team, including the lead. What in the actual fuck.
My only solace is that I have contracting gigs I can get them ASAP if they're interested.
🤞🏻
— Pat Cavit (@tivac) February 25, 2019
Fans are using the #love4arenanet hashtag on Twitter to pass out hugs to the employees affected. They’re also posting messages of love on the official wiki.
We don’t currently know exactly what percentage of the studio has been retained (it sounds rather significant, but Anet hasn’t given a formal headcount), nor has ArenaNet issued a follow-up statement since last week regarding the outlook for the game itself. [Update: It now appears it was 143.]
Massively saw no less than three Guild Wars 2 columnists depart our team for careers at ArenaNet, so our hearts are with the studio’s rank-and-file right now.
“Last week, we announced the upcoming release of our new WvW mount, the Warclaw. Unfortunately, this release will be delayed until Tuesday, March 5. In light of current events at the studio, we are taking this time to focus on our friends and colleagues. We hope you understand and we apologize for this delay. Thank you for your continued support of Guild Wars 2.”
I still have my job but over a hundred amazing people don't
— Samantha 🌱 Wallschlaeger (@StillNotSam) February 25, 2019
It’s been about 7 years since I left as the composer of Guild Wars 2. Though it seems like yesterday. My heartfelt condolences goes out to my friends at ArenaNet – #Love4ArenaNet
— Jeremy Soule (@mistersoule) February 26, 2019
Am I reading this correctly? Over a THIRD of their staff?
Yeps.
They had 400 people working at the studio with a 7 year old buy to own MMO as its main revenue source. I am surprised microtransactions supported that many staff for so long. Seems like the writing was sorta on the wall? If 400 people are making an average of $40,000 a year, that’s like 16mil a year in payroll.
For them to fire Gaile Gray is absurd.
ArenaNet failed when they ruined GW2 by not keeping it like GW, which lets be honest is one of the strongest games of its kind ever to be mad. Still has following, a following that would increase by millions if they would just put focus on continuing it
fwiw, Gray said she had volunteered to be one of those let go, not that she was fired. She didn’t give her reasons. Still, amounts to the same thing, and fair to say they were fools to let her walk.
Damn I have been trying to spend money in GW2 for like 2 years and they always refuse my debit card, although it works fine otherwise…
I think they use a Dutch company for payments or something. Kinda fubar.
Sad to see Gaile Gray is gone. 18 years is such a long time… she should have been allowed to continue till the end.
Because let’s be honest, the end is going to come. With canceled side projects, it seems that Arenanet only has one reason for existence, which is GW2. A 7 year old game that people are losing interest in. There’s no way things are getting better for the studio from this moment on.
Considering she was a great PR spokesperson for the company ( let me make this clear: I don’t like her ), she should really stay.
That being said, her is the only firing i don’t feel a thing.
So much sad news. I’m at least relieved to see Rubi Bayer sticking around. I remember her from her days writing for this site and she was always pretty fantastic.
But seriously though, what path is left now for Anet to able to move forward?!
– All new projects canceled
– No mobile expertise was possible to establish in all those years (or too late?)
– More than a quarter of staff gone, and much precious know-how with them
– Only one franchise
– 14- & 7-year-old games
– Smaller budget to work with
– …
:/
Perfect timing for the old guard to make a GW1 unchained but try to change it too much thinking they are making it more appealing and end up calling it Crowfall with a bizarre subscription model and unappealing hardcore crafting. Oh wait…
Ah well. At least it lasted longer than WildStar
Given that I’m experiencing a similar thing (different business), I can say the whole thing sucks. Best wishes to everyone in finding work and getting back on their feet.
Usually its other peoples bad decisions that we end up paying for. Nowadays, one needs to be ready for anything.
Hoping that as many of them as possible land on their feet and find new employment asap.
I have to mention something that irks me about this article, and always does when this phrase is used.
“ArenaNet bosses began letting people go this afternoon”.
No they weren’t “let go”.
You can let someone go if you kept them somewhere they didn’t want to be, if they wanted to go.
They were fired and thrown out against their will, that’s not being “let go”.
I know it’s a commonly used phrase, i just find it extremely cynical.
Perhaps its best left to the cynics on the upper floors.
fyi
You used the phrase in the correct context, so do many others.
It wasn’t a stab at you personally, but simply me wanting to express my disliking of that particular phrase.
I’d have gone with any of the other choices available, but hey, you’re the Ed’ here.:)