Jagex, the British game developer famed for RuneScape, has confirmed a round of layoffs. News of this was acknowledged by Community Manager JagexHooli early this week, as the company now goes through a restructuring effort.
As stated by the community manager on Reddit, the job cuts are part of a strategic shift to increase focus on RuneScape games and nurture its community. He added that most affected roles are outside direct game development and player-facing positions, but he mentioned some exceptions in the RuneScape team, wanted for a more streamlined development process.
"Yes, there have unfortunately been job reductions at Jagex. These have been made as part of changes in a company restructure as Jagex puts more emphasis on RuneScape games and community growth What matters most right now are the people affected by this change. The studio’s focus is to support those affected, as is mine. Now is the time we put them first and do everything we can to help them out."
For the fans concerned about the future of RuneScape 3, JagexHooli reassured that this does not signal a change of direction. Commitment to the growth and investment in the game remains and the currently envisioned content roadmap is expected to remain intact. Further communication regarding this will be made at the appropriate time.
In other news regarding these layoffs, Jagex also declared that the project known as 'Project Zanaris' would be indefinitely put on hold. Its purpose was to open private servers for Old School RuneScape.
About the reasoning, Jagex cited:
"After careful consideration, we've decided to pause work on Zanaris indefinitely The truth is, there are other areas of the core Old School experience that deserve more attention right now. While Zanaris was ambitious and innovative, it wouldn't have met expectations until much later in development. Rather than stretch our focus, we want to prioritise the things that matter most to you today."
Jagex widely recognized that the community's sentiment towards Zanaris was mixed while acknowledging that many of the players' concerns raised were valid. The focus will now be on enhancing the core Old School RuneScape experience.
These announcements follow the recent Steam Early Access launch of Jagex's new survival cooperative multiplayer game RuneScape Dragonwilds.
