Layoffs at Turbine

The Boston area development scene has taken its second hit this week. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment confirmed to The Boston Globe today that it has enacted a round of layoffs at the Needham, Massachusetts-based Turbine Inc.

"As part of the continual review of our business operations and fluctuating market conditions, we have had to make reductions in our Turbine workforce," a spokesperson from the company said. "The group continues to remain an integral part of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment."

According to the report, Turbine had more than 400 employees before the cuts, making the studio the Boston area's most sizable studio. The layoffs at Turbine follow the closure of social game studio Zynga's nearby Cambridge, Massachusetts branch this week, which reportedly had about 50 staff.

Additionally, just this week Turbine announced a string of high-profile hires, including Elder Scrolls designer Ken Rolston and former Mortal Kombat developer Alan Villani. The company currently has 11 open positions.

Turbine is most famous for its free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing games Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online. The studio does not have any announced upcoming projects.