WiredReports are beginning to emerge that Konami have shut down the Konami Los Angeles studio responsible for making Metal Gear Online, taking around 20 jobs with it.
News began to roll in over night that the studio had been shut down with various sources, including developers, on twitter corroborating the story.
BREAKING: Rumor tells me that Konami has shut down the Kojima Productions LA studio, taking with it approx 35 jobs, just before Xmas.
— George Broussard (@georgeb3dr) November 3, 2015
Eurogamer state that they’ve apparently been in touch with sources close to the studio, and confirm the news to be true.
GamecrateThe studio was opened by Konami in 2013 as an extension of Kojima Productions to help with the online portion of Metal Gear Solid 5. At its peak, the studio employed around 50-60 people, though that number has steadily fallen.
Metal Gear Online was recently transferred over to Konami’s Japanese studios, while the LA team provided support. Launching on October 6th, Metal Gear Online has received a number of patches and updates since then.
Konami are yet to make an announcement on the closure.
Mark is the Gaming Editor for UNILAD. Having grown up a gaming addict, he’s been deeply entrenched in culture and spends time away from work playing as much as possible. Mark studied music at University and found a love for journalism through going to local gigs and writing about them for local and national publications.