Harmonix, the Cambridge gaming company responsible for Rock Band and Guitar Hero, confirmed on Thursday that it has let 37 employees go this week, cutting the company’s total staff down to 109.
The firing comes as a result of a studio restructuring, according to a company spokesperson, recorded by Gamasutra. Said the source:
Unfortunately, this means making the difficult decision to reduce the number of full-time staff. We sincerely appreciate the work of each and every one of these employees. Harmonix is working to ensure that those affected are well taken care of as we make this change.
The company’s chief executive Alex Rigopulos will also be stepping down and moving into a role as creative director. Harmonix’s vice president of operations and publishing will assume the position of CEO.
Harmonix told Gamasutra that the layoffs are not a result of the Microsoft’s recent choice to unbundle Kinect from the Xbox system.
The studio will continue to develop current games Disney: Fantasia Music Evolved and its remake of Amplitude, which it successfully launched a Kickstarter for this spring, raising $844,127.
Image via Destructoid
