It looks as if rumored efforts to merge PC and mobile divisions weren’t just rumors, and according to Gamasutra, the company has closed two North American offices and laid off some of its staff here in the West in spite of reported promises to the contrary.
Nexon M and Nexon’s Division Partners Office are the ones hit by this round of “streamlining,” with some members of staff relocated to other positions while other developers have been laid off. Nexon’s Division Partners Office offered live support for Mabinogi, Rocket Arena, and one unannounced title, while the Nexon M office was a publishing location. The number of affected employees has not been disclosed, but they include staff from a variety of departments including live operations, QA, customer service, and community management. Former production manager Chris Jung has been kindly circulating a list of those affected and how to contact them in an effort to find them new positions.
According to a statement from Nexon, the layoffs are part of the company’s efforts to offer better support to the company’s live games, because apparently you provide better support by having fewer people around:
“Nexon has one of the most powerful live games capabilities in the industry, and streamlining its Western operation by consolidating mobile and PC/Console will allow us to leverage the capability of both organizations to create an even stronger presence for Nexon in the West.”
As alluded to before, these layoffs fly directly in the face of the reported rumor that Nexon’s moves to merge mobile and PC/console gaming divisions would end up shedding employees. We wish all of those affected by the layoffs the best of luck in finding new work.
