Mobile publisher Zynga shutters Torchlight 3 developer Echtra Games
Zynga has officially shut down San Francisco-based studio Echtra Games, which was behind Torchlight 3 and working on an unannounced RPG, only four years after acquiring the developer.
The details:
As reported by IGN, Echtra will close its doors at the end of this month. The number of staff directly affected by the closure has yet to be confirmed, but the studio's LinkedIn page currently lists 61 employees.
Zynga confirmed the news to IGN, stating that the decision is "part of a strategic realignment of the company's resources and priorities," and that those affected will be "treated with the utmost respect and consideration as we navigate this difficult process."
Founded in 2016 by Diablo co-creator and co-founder of Torchlight studio Runic Games, Max Schaefer, Echtra was originally working on a Torchlight MMO under the ownership of Chinese media giant Perfect World. The MMO later became Torchlight 3, and the studio was acquired by mobile publisher Zynga in 2021, where it began work on a "new, yet to be announced RPG for cross-platform play" with Star Wars: Hunters developer NaturalMotion.
This is the second round of layoffs at Zynga since the start of 2024, when it laid off 5% of its workforce last year due to the cancellation of several projects. Its parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has also made a number of job cuts in recent years, selling its Private Division indie label in November.
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