Operation Racoon City dev issues temporary lay-offs

Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City and Galactic Reign developer Slant Six Games has issued another round of temporary lay-offs with the intention to rehire all staff.

GamesIndustry reports this is Slant Six's third round of interim terminations in as many years.

"This necessary measure has been taken to reduce the size of our team and to decrease interim operating costs while we continue to negotiate new business. Temporary lay-offs provide us with a time period to keep everyone's employment position open with full benefits. The intention is to reinstate all of the people affected when new projects or funding has been secured," the developer said in a statement.

Slant Six had offer 60 staff before the lay-offs were issued; the number of affected employees has not been revealed. Temporary lay-offs allow staff to retain company benefits and collect an unemployment pay out for up to 13 weeks, after which they are officially out of a job for good.

The first time Slant Six resorted to such measures, shortly after shipping SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 in 2010, it rehired all staff. Only some of those laid off in a second round following the release odf Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City were rehired; at the time, Slant Six had nearly 100 employees.

Slant Six is based in British Columbia; a recent report suggests the end of tax breaks is sending developers to eastern provinces with lower cost of living. The developer transitioned to mobile and free-to-play games after Operation Raccoon City.