IO Interactive (Hitman, Kane & Lynch) has apparently gone through a second wave of job cuts following an initial culling back in March. At the time, the Danish studio was comprised of about 200 individuals, and the cuts were rumored at 35.
According to an unnamed source, Kotaku reports that the studio has let go and additional 30 employees this week. Confirming the cuts to Kotaku, a Square Enix representative had the below to say.
"I can confirm that we have made some internal changes at IO Interactive which has regrettably resulted in the loss of some jobs. This is a natural partof any studio's existence when you ramp-up and ramp-down on projects to ensure you have the right level of resource and expertise within the studio. We genuinely wish those who have been affected by this, the best of luck for the future."
The anonymous source related that slow sales of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days was correlated to the cuts. While Dog Days won’t make our Best of 2010 list by a long shot, it is always disheartening to see a studio lose talent in great numbers. Best wishes to all those let go.
Here is hoping that the drastic cuts this year still allow IO to move forward with future projects, including Hitman 5.