Capcom has announced that they have shut down Capcom Vancouver. Vancouver was known for their games such as the free-to-play, Puzzle Fighters and the zombie survival series, Dead Rising. The company had around 158 employees who were laid off due to this closure.
“Capcom has been focused on increasing the efficiency and growth of its game development operations,” a Capcom rep told Variety.
“To support this objective, new R&D facilities and annual hiring have been underway at the Osaka headquarters. In consideration of this process, as a result of reviewing titles in development at Capcom Vancouver, Capcom has decided to cancel the development projects at this studio and will concentrate development of major titles in Japan.” The rep then went on to say: “As part of this overall direction, the Capcom Vancouver studio will suspend operations, effective today, so the current staff will be laid off and the office will be closed.”
This closure has left about 158 people out of their job, though they will receive a severance package. The company will hold onto a skeleton crew until 2019 where the studio will be officially closed.
Any projects being worked on by Capcom Vancouver were canceled. They did reassure fans that Capcom still owns the Dead Rising brand, but also shot down ideas of an upcoming title by noting no new titles have been planned.
