Transformers Universe in "precarious position" as Jagex issues 13 lay-offs

Transformers Universe developer Jagex has let 13 people from the MMO's team go, following a shift in tech. One insider at the company has said the game is currently in a "precarious position".

Eurogamer has been told that the lay-offs will not "adversely impact" Transformers Universe, and that the redundancies stem from Jagex moving the project to established tech, and away from in-house tools.

Speaking with the site, an insider voiced concern, because while the new tech will speed up development, they said the team now has six months to essentially remake the MMO.

The site was also provided with a statement by Jagex on the matter that began, "Having reviewed the remaining work required for the upcoming Transformers Universe launch we have made the decision to scale the development team back slightly.

"We have always been committed to developing the highest quality games and services and are confident that this reduction will not adversely impact the game. The vast majority of the Transformers studio will be unaffected by this move.

"On a positive note a significant portion of the talent potentially effected have already been reallocated to support the upcoming release of RuneScape 3 in HTML 5 and the RuneScape 3 on tablets project slated for the end of the year.

"Regrettably we have not been able to find suitable roles for 13 members of the team who will be leaving the studio later this month. We will be revealing more details about the game on www.transformersuniverse.com shortly."

What do you make of the above? It should also be noted that Transformers Universe hasn't been shown since last year. We'll update this story if we hear anything further on the matter.