Amid ongoing restructuring, SEGA has officially announced more job cuts in Europe, numbering 240 employees, and Relic Entertainment has decided to go independent during the turbulence.
Today, SEGA posted a notice on their financial website SegaSammy of European structural reform of their business. In 2024, this means more layoffs, and while the layoffs of SEGA Europe number 240, Relic Entertainment (a subsidy developer under the SEGA umbrella) shares owned by SEGA have been sold to a holding company. This means, for the first time since 1997, the developer of Age of Empires, Company of Heroes and even the Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War titles is going independent.
Relic Entertainment has made a post on their X (formerly Twitter) account, confirming the sale and that they will now operate as an independent studio. The statement also pays homage to SEGA and Relic’s time working with the company, the statement reads, “We want to thank SEGA, whose support over the years and guidance during this transition have been instrumental to our success,” while also saying “We may be out of the SEGA business, but we remain friends and colleagues” assuring there is no love lost between the two companies.
Following the divestment of Relic Entertainment, SEGA has reported $31 million as “extraordinary losses.” It’s also worth noting the report lists Relic’s bottom line as a point, stating that as of December 31, 2023, their total net earning profit was $6 million. As part of the restructuring (and a potential reason for the sale), SEGA has laid off 240 employees across its portfolio of developers, including Creative Assembly, Hardlight, and SEGA Europe.
SEGA Europe Boss, Jugen Post, said, “We need to streamline, focus on what we are good at, and position ourselves as best we can for the road ahead” in an email correspondence to employees, according to IGN. Post also lamented the layoffs, saying, “I want to sincerely apologize for the worry and understandable distress this news will cause, particularly for those directly affected. These decisions have been incredibly tough to make, and they follow meticulous consideration and deliberation with leadership teams across the business.”
Fans can head to the SegaSammy website for more details surrounding Relic Entertainment and SEGA layoffs.