Layoffs at Lord of the Rings Online Studio

Lord of the Rings Online and Infinite Crisis developer Turbine Inc. has eliminated an unspecified number of positions in what the Boston-area studio calls a routine move.

The studio, owned by media giant Warner Bros., confirmed the layoffs in a statement.

"As part of our normal business process, we're routinely looking at the strategic alignment of our company," a representative told Massively. "Unfortunately, in order for us to invest in growth areas at Turbine, we have to eliminate some positions. These are always tough decisions, which we don't approach lightly, but it's crucial that Turbine is structured in a way that reflects the current and coming marketplace."

Lord of the Rings Online launched in 2007, and adopted a free-to-play model in 2010. The game has welcomed a bevy of post-release expansions, the most recent of which was 2013's Helm's Deep.

Founded in 1994, Turbine Inc. was acquired by Warner Bros. in 2010. It is one of the Boston area's biggest studios. Others include Rockstar New England (Bully, Grand Theft Auto V), Harmonix (Rock Band, Dance Central), and Demiurge (Shoot Many Robots, Mass Effect for PC). BioShock creator Irrational Games is also located in the Boston area, but it effectively closed earlier this year.