Gigantic dev Motiga is about to shut down, game lives on [update #2]

Update #2: We got an official statement from Perfect World Entertainment, which mentions the closure of the Seattle office of Runic Games (Torchlight series) and the continued work on Gigantic. Read the full statement below:

“Following the news that Motiga has reduced the staff of its studio, Perfect World Entertainment can confirm that as the publisher of Gigantic, the game will continue to be available on our platforms. A core team of developers remains at Motiga, who will work with us to support the game and its players, including moving full steam ahead with the upcoming November update and future content. We cannot thank everyone enough for their contributions in making Gigantic the outstanding experience it is today. 

Perfect World Entertainment recently closed the Seattle office of Runic Games as part of the company’s continued strategy to focus on online games as a service. We’re grateful to the team for all of their hard work bringing incredible experiences like Torchlight, Torchlight II and Hob to life. Runic Games will remain a part of Perfect World Entertainment’s portfolio of studios, and its games will continue to be available to players, as we stay committed to supporting and growing Runic Games’ beloved franchises. 

The staff reduction at Motiga and the closure of Runic Games Seattle were unrelated. Perfect World Entertainment stands committed to delivering the best massively multiplayer online gameplay experiences to our players.”

We hope everyone affected by this decision will be able to find a new job soon. Perfect World Entertainment has a few online games in the works, including Magic the Gathering MMORPG from Cryptic Studios and a new shooter from Turtle Rock. Both titles have a lot of potential, and we can't wait to hear more about them.

Update #1: Motiga founder and CEO Chris Chung told Destructoid that this is in fact true, and Motiga might not be the only Perfect World studio affected. Here is his statement:

“All of Motiga was acquired by Perfect World last year. Perfect World decided to announce the arrangement as partnership by the directions from corporate for the reason we were not privy to.

Yes, [the closure] was the corporate decision. It was a budgetary decision at the highest level. Perfect World as a public company has a profitability goal and they decided to cut parts of the company that were not profitable. In short, Gigantic was not making enough revenue. Unfortunately, Motiga is not the only Perfect World studio being impacted by the decision.

Gigantic will be left at the hands of a maintenance team composed of few dedicated folks at Motiga. They are [an] awesome group of people that will be working on the game until some time in the future when it doesn't make sense anymore.

Thank you for the kind words. As someone that created Motiga from scratch, it's a sad day for me but I am proud of the team we built and the culture we established at Motiga. I was hugged by everyone today and you don't see that kind of reaction in most companies through an ordeal like this.”

And a follow-up:

“I made the previous statement at a vulnerable moment believing it was a response to a friendly concern. I may not have had all the facts surrounding what happened and I apologize for any error. Today was a tough day for all of us who have been part of this extraordinary journey. We wish the best for everyone that were impacted and we will do everything we can to help them find a new home.”

Original story:

It seems that Motiga didn't catch a break, not even after the release of Gigantic. The studio is going to shut down, according to a tweet from a (former?) employee.

During the development of Gigantic, Motiga went through a couple of rounds of layoffs and severed chains with Microsoft to find a new partner in Perfect World. The July 2017 release of Gigantic was an important stage, but as you should know by now, no online multiplayer game is ever “released” for good.

Now, it seems that Motiga could be about to close its doors for good. Audio Lead Dan Crislip tweeted the following:

Today marks the end of Motiga and my time with an absolutely amazing team. If anyone is hiring, we're all looking! <3 to everyone.

— Dan, the Funemployed (@MO_Soundz) November 2, 2017

Dan also went over to Reddit to add that Gigantic will remain live, with work being handed over to Perfect World Entertainment:

“Just to clarify. No, Gigantic isn't going to end anytime soon, I'd assume that Perfect World will take over. Yes, this is a tweet from a Motigan but no official word has been said, but I'd assume it's true. And finally, when I say “assume” I mean “yes this will happen/yes this is 100% true” so.”

We'll update this as soon as we have an official statement, but things aren't looking good for Motiga. Always a shame to see such a talented studio closing its doors.