LucasArts has completed a round of extensive layoffs. The layoffs are the result of a reorganizing process in order to strengthen its internal studio. Among those let go are former developers on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II.
One of the recently let go developers told Kotaku approximately 60 people from LucasArt’s development teams were dismissed along with 25 others from Q&A and external production.
This news comes shortly after LucasArts was canceled by LucasArt’s new president Paul Meegan. There were fears that layoffs would occur after The Force Unleashed II was completed. Meegan was also said to be in the process of stopping third party development on LucasArts properties and halting production on an unannounced title until management was restructured. All these facts pointed to impending layoffs.
Company morale was already low according to an unnamed Kotaku source. One can only imagine what things are like within LucasArts now.
Besides The Force Unleashed II, LucasArts is also publishing LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Both games are expected to be released in 2011. They may be the last Star Wars games developed by a third party.
Wonder — albeit from a somewhat self serving vantage — whether the Indy Weekly's Scan will make another post sometime soon? This announce went up March 31 & it's been radio silence since.