Sandbox Interactive, the studio behind the PvP focused MMORPG Albion Online, has confirmed a significant round of layoffs. Albion Online enjoyed a successful launch back in July of last year, with active character numbers peaking at nearly 150,000. Those numbers soon spiraled down to under 25,000 within five months. Sandbox Interactive has since disabled the feature which allowed players to track the active player count.

In an official statement, Sandbox Interactive stated that their team size almost doubled to 50 to meet the demands of their successful launch. Since then, the studio has downsized to 31 which is similar to the team size back during pre-release beta. The full statement, sent to to MassivelyOP, can be seen below:

“Albion Online saw a successful release in July 2017. To get ready for release, during beta testing, our team size almost doubled to more than 50 people. Now that release is behind us, we are reducing the team size to levels similar to those at the start of pre-release beta testing. 31 people in total, supported by talented freelancers, will constantly improve and expand the game. This goes hand in hand with our strategy to fully focus on the game’s original core vision: with the release of our Kay update in December, player numbers have stabilized at a high level and continue to grow. Our next update, Lancelot, will continue on this path and is set to release in March, with further updates to come according to our road map.”

While layoffs following release are standard among traditional retail games, they are not common in the MMORPG genre, Particularly for games that claim to still be growing.

Despite the set backs, Albion Online is still receiving massive new updates and the development road map outlined back in December 22 looks robust. Players can look forward to a revamped fishing feature, the addition of siege engines, cosmetic costumes, and more solo PvE options. Check out the Development Road Map talk below!

Further Reading: Development Road Map