MMO developer Trion Worlds reportedly lays off "vast majority" of its staff

MMO developer Trion Worlds, responsible for the likes of Rift, ArchAge, and Defiance, has reportedly laid off the "vast majority" of its workforce following acquisition by free-to-play publisher Gamigo.

Reports of the lay-offs initially came via Gamasutra, whose sources named German publisher Gamingo as Trion's buyer. While Gamingo has yet to offer comment, an official statement from Trion did confirm a "transaction" involving the studio and its games had taken place, and that redundancies had occurred as a result.

"While many of the names and faces you've come to know in our studios will remain on through this transition, others will not be making the journey," the statement read, "To those who are leaving us, we are forever grateful for your incredible work and contributions over the years."

Although Trion failed to reveal specific numbers, Gamasutra was told a "vast majority" of employees were affected, and that only 25 out of more than 200 employees - across both Trion's Redwood and Austin teams - were given the choice to remain at the studio.

Trion's director of community relations, Linda "Brasse" Carlson, confirmed in messages to the company's official forums and Discord server that she was one of the staff impacted by the acquisition, and that "a great many of us are packing to leave today". She continued, "Trion has new owners and I trust that they will treat you well, as you all deserve".

Carlson did, however, suggest Trion's titles would be unaffected - a sentiment reiterated in the studio's official statement. "We'd like to assure our communities that the games will continue on in capable hands moving forward," it said, "as everyone involved is aiming to make this transition as smooth as possible for you. We will have more information to reveal as soon as we possibly can."

Trion was founded in 2006, subsequently focussing its development efforts on MMO-style games. Its titles spanned a multitude of genres, including shooters (Defiance), RPGs (Rift and ArcheAge), and its own take on Minecraft-style building and exploration in the form of Trove. Its most recent game, Atlas Reactor, released in 2016, and Defiance was relaunched as Defiance 2050 earlier this year.

"From the bottom of all of our hearts, concluded Trion, "we thank you for your time and dedication to our games and hope that you've enjoyed the experience as much as we have".