The layoffs at CCP last week do affect the team for EVE Online after all, despite it being explicitly denied.
About a week ago, we reported that the Icelandic development studio CCP significantly reduced its workforce. They are speaking of “downsizing,” a reduction in size.
Downsizing should not affect EVE
CCP is withdrawing from the virtual reality market, closed the studio in the USA, sold a studio in Newcastle, and laid off approximately 100 employees in total.
The message was clear: This has no impact on the MMORPG EVE Online. On the contrary, the space MMO will be strengthened by the restructuring. Now, the focus will fully return to the MMORPG.
However, on the same day, the active EVE community on reddit collected news that contradicts this statement.
Almost the entire community team has been laid off
The Redditors found two farewell tweets from popular members of the EVE community team, CCP Logibro and CCP Manifest. Both are members of the development team who had a lot of contact with the fans. Some shared their anecdotes with one of the laid-off employees.
But that was not all, at least six other members of the EVE community team lost their jobs last week. This includes CCP Shadowcat, community manager for Germany and responsible for the localization of the client.
CCP Leeloo also had to go, community manager for the Russian pilots. Leeloo wrote a Facebook post, in which she stated that the EVE community team now consists of only 2 people. She called it “possibly the biggest mistake the company has ever made.”
Alone in Iceland
The post has since been deleted but has been archived. It is an emotional post that shows how much EVE means to the employees as well. In addition, CCP is based in Iceland. Anyone who decides to work there usually has to drastically change their life. For the ex-community workers who are now jobless in Iceland, it is certainly a difficult situation.
The behavior of CCP is inexplicable to many EVE players, the game thrives on the community. One explanation is that CCP is to be sold and that they want to make the studio more attractive to potential buyers through the changes. Leeloo also mentions in her post that “the numbers do not add up” and community employees are the easiest to replace.
