Many moons ago, I had a chance to work at a very prominent AAA studio but timing didn’t permit as such. Though that studio is fine (for now it seems, right?), other studios haven’t been so lucky. In the past few years, we’ve seen major developers have their doors shut after potentially one less-than-stellar title. While the writing has been on the wall for some time now with a  handful of layoffs here and there, Sony is officially shutting the doors on Evolution Studios which brought us the ever excellent DriveClub on PS4 and the MotorStorm series on PS3.

Here is Paul Rustchynsky, Game Director on DriveClub:

 Before I sign off to take a break and spend some time with my family I just wanted to say a few words…

Firstly, a big, big thank you to all the fans that have supported us throughout Evo’s storied history; we couldn’t have achieved what we did without you!

Thank you to Sony who helped Evo rise to the top tier of racing game teams in the world, working as a first party team has been a fantastic experience.

Last but certainly not least: A massive thank you to the whole team at Evo, it truly has been an honor to work with such a talented, passionate and determined group of people.

I hope you will all join me today in celebrating Evolution by picking up a pad, throwing on your favourite Evo game, and giving us a victory lap.

Until next time,

Rushy 

After the jump, a statement from Sony.

Regular reviews take place throughout SCE Worldwide Studios, ensuring that the resources that we have in such a competitive landscape can create and produce high quality, innovative and commercially viable projects.

As part of this process we have reviewed and assessed all current projects and plans for the short and medium term and have decided to make some changes to the European studios structure.

As a result, It has been decided that Evolution Studio will close.

It is regrettable that this decision will lead to compulsory redundancies. We accept that this decision will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff but by focusing on other Studios that already have exciting new projects in development we believe we will be in a stronger position going forward and able to offer the best possible content of the highest quality for our consumers

Where possible we will try to reallocate people onto other projects. If appropriate opportunities are not possible within the company, we will assist staff in any way we can, including speaking with local employers and with other development companies.

Evolution has been an important part of SCE Worldwide Studios for over 10 years – working on ground-breaking racing titles like WRC, Motorstorm and DRIVECLUB.

This decision should not take anything away from the great work that Evolution has produced.

While DriveClub certainly had a rocky launch, the devs behind the game have been extra busy releasing new maps, game modes, and cars. It’s unclear if because of the ever-so important initial launch, the game never recovered and in turn, hasn’t been financially viable or if there are other reasons behind the closure. My guess is the former of the two. Whatever it may be though, it’s always sad to hear that I have to report on good people losing their livelihood.

If anybody from Evolution Studios ever finds their way to LA, drinks are on me. Just hit me up on Twitter. The above photo is of my favorite car, the BMW M4, in DriveClub.

Discuss:

Are you surprised by the studio’s closure?