The closure of Toys For Bob in Novato, California adds to the uncertainty surrounding the future of the renowned game developer, known for titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Skylanders.
The closure comes as part of the fallout from Microsoft Corp.‘s MSFT acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which resulted in approximately 1,900 job layoffs.
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According to the San Francisco Chronicle, 86 employees were laid off from Toys for Bob, along with 76 from Sledgehammer Games, another affected developer known for Call of Duty.
The layoffs, which were announced at the end of January, were part of Xbox’s efforts to restructure Activision Blizzard following the acquisition.
Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra departed, and a survival game in development at Blizzard was canceled. The closures were discovered through official state filings.
The long-term impact on Toys for Bob remains uncertain amidst these changes in the industry. With various game publishers focusing on remote work and restructuring, the fate of the studio hangs in the balance.
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Image courtesy: Activision via Steam.
Image and article originally from www.benzinga.com. Read the original article here.