The maker of Everquest, H1Z1 and DC Universe Online got rid of 70 employees, according to former president John Smedley. Officially Daybreak Game Company isn\u2019t saying how many were let go.<\/b>
\nDaybreak Game Company, maker of DC Universe Online, Planetside 2 and the Everquest franchise, laid off a substantial number of workers today, according to reports and social media posts, including one from its former president.
John Smedley, the founder of the company (which became Sony Online Entertainment and later Daybreak) said on Twitter that the company had fired 70 workers, which he estimated to be a third of its workforce.
In a statement to Polygon, a Daybreak Game Company representative did not comment on the size of the layoffs but said the studio is \u201coptimizing our structure to ensure we best position ourselves for continued success in the years to come.
\u201cThis effort has required us to make some changes within the organization and we are doing everything we can to support those impacted in this difficult time,\u201d the representative said. \u201cAs we look to improve efficiencies and realign resources, we remain focused on supporting our existing games and development of our future titles.\u201d
Other social media posts said that the majority of the layoffs hit Daybreak\u2019s Austin, Texas office, Daybreak is headquartered in San Diego. The company, in a statement to Variety, denied that the Texas office was closing.
Smedley, who had a reputation for social media outspokenness before he left Daybreak in 2015, ripped his former company for the timing of the dismissals:
very sorry to hear about the layoffs at Daybreak. Those are good people that should still be working there 10 years from now if things were being well run.
really really angry right now. It’s December FFS and this is how you treat employees @DaybreakGames come on.
Daybreak also cut workers from its San Diego office back in April, VentureBeat reported at the time. More recently, the Daybreak-backed esports league for H1Z1 (which the company makes) went defunct mid-season; the co-chairman cited H1Z1 \u2019s declining overall player population as a significant reason for ending the schedule early.<\/p>\n