Dead Rising 2 developer enacts layoffs

The studio behind Dead Rising 2 has confirmed a round of layoffs today. According to the official Twitter feed of Capcom Vancouver, the studio has cut its headcount by 7 percent "as a result of unsuitable fit with the studio goals."

In a follow-up post, the studio emphasized that it is "still growing and aggressively seeking great talent." Its official website lists senior positions for an animator, a producer, and a designer, as well as a handful of software engineer openings.

The studio's current game has not been announced, but it is intended to be the start of a new franchise, and won't feature zombies. Previously, the studio developed Dead Rising 2, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, and the Dead Rising 2: Case Zero and Dead Rising 2: Case West downloadable spin-offs of the series. Before its association with Capcom started, the Vancouver studio was known as Blue Castle, specializing in baseball games like Take-Two's The Bigs and its sequel.

The news worsens a particularly difficult stretch for the Vancouver development scene. Last month, Activision effectively shut down Prototype 2 developer Radical Entertainment just two months after its latest release topped the US best-seller charts. Earlier this month, Take-Two unveiled plans to relocate Rockstar Vancouver--fresh off the launch of Max Payne 3--across the country and merge it with the Rockstar team in Toronto.

[UPDATE]: A Capcom representative provided the following statement for GameSpot: "Capcom Vancouver has laid off 20 staff as part of its regular periodic assessment of overall studio goals. The studio is actively hiring talented staff to support its goal of delivering high quality games."

Given the 7 percent figure stated by Capcom Vancouver, that would have put the studio's pre-layoff size around 285 people.