Staff cuts implemented at WildStar studio and across NCSoft West

NCSoft has announced a round of staff cuts across its western operations, with WildStar developer Carbine Studios bearing the brunt of the lay-offs.

According to a statement handed to Game Informer after Polygon broke the news, while Guild Wars developer ArenNet was unaffected, up to 60 employees at Carbine were let go.

NCSoft plans to continue supporting WildStar along with its other MMOS Aion, Guild Wars and Lineage while also moving into mobile and tablet gaming segments.

"Today we announced a restructuring of key operations within NC West [with] staff reductions across our Western operations with the exclusion of ArenaNet," read the statement. "While decisions like this are always hard, they are necessary as we begin the implementation of a new strategy designed to strengthen our footing as a leader in global entertainment.

"We will continue to focus on our core development capabilities and the intellectual properties that have made NCSOFT what it is today. However, we are looking to move into new business segments like mobile and tablet games as well as explore emerging technologies."