Unity Software to cut 265 jobs, shut Singapore office and 13 other locations
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Unity Software makes a software toolkit used by many video game developers, including the maker of the popular Pokemon Go mobile game.
PHOTO: NIANTIC
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SAN FRANCISCO – Video game software provider Unity Software will eliminate 265 jobs, or 3.8 per cent of its global workforce, and end an agreement with a digital video effects company founded by Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson.
This comes as part of a “reset”, the company said on Nov 28.
The move follows a tumultuous period for the San Francisco-based company, which makes a software toolkit used by many video game developers, including the maker of the popular Pokemon Go mobile game.
In September, the company tried to impose a new “runtime fee” pricing policy, which charged new fees to its game developers if certain revenue and install thresholds were met.
Following a developer revolt and a steep drop-off in share price, the company revamped the new fees.
In October, Unity chief executive John Riccitiello retired, and the company appointed former IBM president Jim Whitehurst as interim CEO and president, and Sequoia Capital partner Roelof Botha as board chairman.
The announcement on Nov 28 includes termination of the professional services piece of an agreement Unity struck with Mr Jackson’s visual effects company Weta FX in 2021 after Unity purchased the technology and engineering division of Weta FX.
As a result, 265 employees whose jobs are related to the agreement will be laid off, the company said.
The company has said its total workforce was around 7,000.
Unity will also shut down offices in 14 locations such as Berlin and Singapore, pending employee consultation in some countries, and significantly reduce its office footprint for the remaining offices, including in San Francisco and Bellevue, Washington.
Unity will no longer mandate that employees work from offices three a days a week and will reduce “full in-office services” to three days a week in most locations, the company said.
Mr Whitehurst told Reuters that more changes are in store to “refocus” Unity’s business.
“While no additions have been finalised, it’s clear that we will reduce the number of things we are doing overall,” he said. REUTERS
