Sandsoft, a cellular developer headquartered in Saudi Arabia, is closing its studios in Riyadh and Barcelona, Spain, whereas shedding round 65 workers within the course of.
First reported by MobileGamer.Biz earlier in the present day, the layoffs are affecting round 40 employees members in Barcelona and 25 in Riyadh. The outlet was informed that the job cuts are affecting workers engaged on internally developed video games, whereas these working in publishing are secure. The studio is wanting into transitioning among the affected members into the latter, however there is not any affirmation as of but.
“Sandsoft is doubling down on publishing, an space of our enterprise the place we’ve already demonstrated vital progress and see vital alternatives for future success,” Sandsoft CEO David Fernández informed MobileGamer.
“As a part of this strategic shift, we’ve made the troublesome resolution to shut our inside studios in Barcelona and Riyadh. We deeply recognize the workforce’s creativity and dedication, and we’re absolutely dedicated to supporting everybody by way of this transition.”
A spokesperson added that the choice “is not concerning the high quality of labor or expertise at these studios,” and that “it is actually about concentrating our assets the place we are able to have the largest affect and construct sustainable progress.” As such, the workforce will now be concentrating solely on publishing.
Sandsoft nonetheless has two workplaces in Finland and China
As reported by PocketGamer.Biz, Sandsoft signed three new video games as lately as March of this yr. Again then, the studio additionally mentioned it had “a number of extra” video games in testing and scheduled to launch all year long.
The Riyadh studio is closing merely three years after opening, whereas the Barcelona studio was opened in 2023. Earlier that very same yr, Fernández spoke to MobileGamer.Biz a few plan to grow to be a mega writer.
“Our ambition is to be a frontrunner within the cellular video games trade, from our area to the world, in the identical manner that you’ve got within the U.S. not simply cellular, however bigger organizations —you’ve got the Activisions, you’ve got the Take-Twos, you’ve got Digital Arts,” Fernández mentioned. “Trying to China, you’ve got Tencent and you’ve got NetEase. We wish to be a kind of.”
