Information is beginning to surface today over possible layoffs at Valve who are the developers of the Half-Life franchise and Steam. Details right now are pretty scarce as to what is going on and regarding the number of employees let go as of Tuesday morning. While the number of staff who have been laid off is currently unknown, some terms describing the situation being thrown around include “great cleansing” and “large decisions.”
Gamasutra is also reporting that the number 25 regarding how many staff have been laid off is also floating around right now although nothing is confirmed at this time and that number could easily be higher. The reason for the layoffs is also unknown and staff is being asked to remain silent about the situation. Even though staff has been asked to remain silent, the overall impression seems to be that these layoffs are being driven more by company challenges than individual staff performance.
One detail is known however and that is these layoffs are in departments regarding hardware and Android development. There have been rumors and hints floating around for awhile about Valve getting more involved in mobile gaming including making hardware for mobile gaming, the company also making an Android-powered console (although that now is more than likely the Xi3 revealed curing CES 2013), and the most recent news of Valve wanting to bring DOTA 2 to tablets.
We will keep an eye out for additional details as they surface and keep everyone updated.
Website Referenced: Gamasutra
