Well here’s one company I never expected to be hit with lay offs –of any kind– but it seems that Valve has taken to laying off a number of people, some from their hardware and Android departments.
Gamasutra has reported on the incident, stating that a number of employees have been let go from Valve in what some are calling a ‘great cleansing’. A total of 25 has been said, but it’s unconfirmed at this point.
Meanwhile, Develop added to the news with reports that Jason Holtman, the company’s Director of Business, has also left for unknown reasons. They later updated with a small list of names thought to also be leaving the company:
- Moby Francke: Character designed on Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2
- Keith Huggins: Joined from “world of feature film special effects, previously working at Industrial Light and Magic
- Tom Leonard: worked on design and technology for Half-Life 2, Episodes One and Two, and Left 4 Dead.
- Realm Lovejoy: Works in computer animation and worked on Portal.
- Marc Nagel: Previously worked on Half-Life, Opposing Force and Counter-Strike as test lead
- Bay Raitt: Previously led the creation of Gollum’s facial system for The Lord of the Rings trilogy
- Elan Ruskin:Engine programmer and gameplay developer
- Matthew Russell: Animator
What could be going on at Valve? Well, it’s been said that this could be a result of the company’s decision to focus on other work, as opposed to a number of employees failing to meet Valve’s standards or causing trouble. Let’s hope it’s the former in this particular case. However, it’s crucial to consider the ramifications of unwarranted job loss and ensure fair treatment for all employees involved.