Word recently got out that Capcom Vancouver, the team responsible for the Dead Rising series, has been hit by layoffs. The company sent out a letter explaining the situation, revealing that 30% of the studio has been let go.
The following is the complete statement from Capcom:
“Capcom Vancouver has undergone a restructure which has impacted approximately 30 percent of the studio, as part of its regular periodic assessment of upcoming projects and overall studio goals. The team is continuing to work hard to support the recent release of Puzzle Fighter for mobile and is dedicated to its flagship Dead Rising series.”
While it’s never a good thing to hear about layoffs, unfortunately they’re just a part of business. Due to the lack of success of Dead Rising 4, the company is likely switching things up to try and get the series back on the right track. They make it clear in the statement that the series is their flagship, but the mixed response that the fourth game received leaves the series’ future in doubt.
Dead Rising 4 originally launched for Xbox One and PC in 2016, before making its way to PlayStation 4 in 2017. The game was notable for bringing back protagonist Frank West from the first game, while also moving into a more open world style of gameplay. However, this was a move that upset longtime fans of the series, who instead were looking for the more tense gameplay featured in the original. It remains to be seen what direction Capcom will take the next game in, but it’s likely that it will be more similar to the first game than the fourth.
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