Turbine games, the studio behind Lord of the Rings Online has been hit with layoffs.

According to a report from Gamasutra, a number of employees have been let go. Turbine's parent company, Warner Bros. Interactive, offered the following statement:

As part of our normal business process, we’re routinely looking at the strategic alignment of our company. Unfortunately, in order for us to invest in growth areas at Turbine, we have to eliminate some positions. These are always tough decisions, which we don’t approach lightly, but it’s crucial that Turbine is structured in a way that reflects the current and coming marketplace.

It's unclear how many employees were released from the company.

Lord of the Rings Online moved from a monthly fee to a free to play model in 2010.

[Via: Gamasutra]

Our Take
It's always tough to hear about layoffs. Lord of the Rings Online might not be the most prominent MMO, but it seems like it has been experiencing consistent success. Our thoughts are with those that have found themselves unemployed.