Skip to main content

Rovio announces more layoffs in effort to focus on games

Rovio announces more layoffs in effort to focus on games

Share this story

The decline of Angry Birds maker Rovio continues, as today the game developer announced another set of layoffs, with plans for up to 260 job cuts totalling more than 30 percent of the studio's workforce. According to the company, the decision was made so that it could "restructure and concentrate" on its core business of "games, media, and consumer products."

The Finnish game developer said something similar last October, when it announced the layoffs of up to 130 employees amid slow growth and declining revenue. The current round of layoffs will apply companywide, excluding those employees working on the upcoming Angry Birds animated movie, which is due to hit theaters next year.

"We did too many things."

"Fundamental changes are needed to ensure Rovio succeeds in its global ambitions to be the leading entertainment company with mobile games at its heart," CEO Pekka Rantala said in a statement.

Rovio came to prominence in 2009 with the success of the first Angry Birds game on iOS, and has since tried to build on that with a near-overwhelming amount of Angry Birds merchandise and spinoffs. Most recently, the developer released Angry Birds 2, a free-to-play game that saw more than 50 million downloads in its first month of availability. However, that success wasn't enough to make up for the company overextending itself.

"Rovio's growth and eagerness to explore new business opportunities over the past few years has been exceptional," Rantala said. "As a result, we did too many things. In our current financial condition we must now put focus on where we are at our best: in creating magnificent gaming experiences, in producing an amazing animation movie and in delighting our fans with great products."