CCP announced the sale of their Newcastle studio, which made Eve: Valkyrie, back in October, alongside staff layoffs company-wide and the closure of their Atlanta branch office. All hope is not lost though, CCP are also developing a new MMO that features a new IP and working on a new mobile title, so this feels more like a refocusing on new priorities rather than just downsizing. Or at least that’s how CCP wants us to take it.
“Sumo Digital is a great home for the team in Newcastle,” says Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. “As we say goodbye to our former colleagues we know that they will do great things there, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.”
Sumo are one of the UK’s biggest independent developers, with 500+ staff and four studios, including the newest addition in Newcastle. They have been working with CCP on Project Nova, the continuation of DUST 514, Sumo have collaborated with Sony and Microsoft on sequels and spin-offs for a number of major console franchises including Forza, Crackdown, and LittleBigPlanet. So the future looks bright for the Newcastle office. Best wishes to everyone involved.