Just five months after the early access release of the Skate reboot, Electronic Arts is restructuring development studio Full Circle to better support Skate's long-term future. The company says the changes will help it focus on what matters most to players, but the move involves layoffs.
"These shifts mean making changes to our team structure, and some roles will be impacted," a statement from Full Circle said in typical corporate language. The studio added that affected employees are talented colleagues who helped build Skate's foundation, and that the decision does not reflect on their impact.
Skate, a free-to-play multiplayer game, has seen a dramatic drop in concurrent players on Steam since its peak of nearly 135,000 shortly after release. Currently, it averages only a few thousand concurrent players. However, the game is also available on consoles and mobile devices.
Despite the layoffs, Full Circle insists work on Skate will continue. "We look forward to working with you as we move faster, listen more closely, and deliver consistently for all of you," the studio wrote. Details about future updates were shared in a recent development update, including changes to how the team will communicate upcoming features.
The number of employees laid off has not been disclosed. EA has been contacted for comment.