Pandemic Studios – the developers behind Star Wars: Battlefront and Mercenaries – will today be closed down by owners Electronic Arts, according to several sources close to the situation.
It’s not the first time we’ve heard this – far from it – but we had previously been unaware of the timing of the move.
Though still unconfirmed, according to our sources almost all of the studio’s staff (around 200 people) in Los Angeles are to be laid off today, with those few remaining to be incorporated into other Electronic Arts development teams. The move is expected to be announced to Pandemic staff at 11 a.m. PT.
Pandemic were first formed in 1998, and for a while there, seemed to be on the verge of becoming one of the world’s premier development houses. Following on from the success of Full Spectrum Warrior, Mercenaries and Star Wars: Battlefront, they were purchased in 2007 by Electronic Arts, where things should have been on the up and up.
Instead, the company released a succession of lacklustre sequels, and took a body-blow when Pandemic’s Australian experiment failed following the cancellation of the costly – and doomed – Dark Knight game, which resulted in the closure of Pandemic’s Brisbane studio.
It’s believed Pandemic’s remaining IP (including The Saboteur) will be passed onto EA’s Montreal studio (Army of Two).
Remember, as of yet, this is all unconfirmed; we’d expect an official announcement on the closure later today.
Deadlydorito
November 18, 2009 at 12:21 AM
so… EVIL EA caused the death of a quality developer?
Can i hate them again without being flamed?
Report PermalinkAussieSniper
November 18, 2009 at 12:45 AM
Merry Christmas Pandemic – Love, EA
Report PermalinkSean Orr
November 18, 2009 at 2:12 AM
i think EA is a pretty cool guy, eh destroys teh game development industry and doesn’t afraid of anything
Report Permalinklurker
November 18, 2009 at 2:21 AM
So.. where are those ex-pandemic guys that comment before? maybe they could shown some light?
Report PermalinkKhan
November 18, 2009 at 3:11 AM
EA are a permanent stain on gaming.
Report PermalinkAllen
November 18, 2009 at 4:38 AM
This better not affect The Saboteur in any way, shape or form or I will be royally pissed.
Report PermalinkArash Mohebbi
November 18, 2009 at 7:42 AM
for better or worse, there is a high probability it already has.
Report PermalinkNoOtherDestiny
November 18, 2009 at 8:31 AM
EA has a habit of acquiring IPs and development studios, then killing the sequels to popular games.
Report PermalinkAndrew Matthews
November 18, 2009 at 8:33 AM
BTW its true
Report Permalinkf4cti0n
November 18, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Sad to see EA is still up to old tricks. And here I was hoping they’d turned over a new leaf and Activision would be the big meanie (now it’s a tie, I guess?).
Report PermalinkRyan Keable
November 18, 2009 at 9:34 AM
best of luck to all who were let go. Many freinds of mine have lost their jobs today :(
Report Permalinkrturtle
November 22, 2009 at 8:47 AM
I’m sorry– name one good game pandemic developed. The only one i enjoyed was battlefront, but that got old really fast. For me, it’s good riddance. Pandemic were a mediocre developer at best.
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