Just Cause 3, Mad Max Developer Cuts Staff

Avalanche Studios, developer of Mad Max and Just Cause 3, has cut staff numbers across its Stockholm and New York studios by about 24 people, following the completion of development projects.

In a statement issued to Game Informer, Avalanche said it was unable to transition some staff from completed projects to new ones and, as a result, needed to let some developers go.

"The transition between major projects is always challenging, especially for independent developers. We have just completed one project and are currently wrapping up another. In starting up our new projects, we were not able to perfectly match the team sizes and skill sets of the previous ones, and we unfortunately had to let some talented developers go," the statement said.

"12 developers were given notice in New York. There was a similar number of notices given this summer in Stockholm, but right now we are in the process of rehiring some of those who left. We expect to keep hiring in the new year. This unfortunate event does not affect any of our current projects, and we're taking measure to avoid situations like this in the future."

Avalanche's Stockholm studio was primary developer on Mad Max, while its New York office handled Just Cause 3. The two games are published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Square Enix respectively. This type of post-completion downsizing is common in the video game development industry.

Mad Max was released on in September, 2015. In GameSpot's Mad Max review Peter Brown said the game 's world is "beautiful, grim, and fascinating," with "some interesting characters, impressive environments and great car combat," but it falls apart when you get out of the car.

"Mad Max's combat system is too dumbed down to enjoy, and repetitive activities such as searching for scrap and invading small enemy camps gets old fast ... Mad Max is too focused on providing you with an open-world that's filled with missions, and not focused enough on making those missions worth your time."

The Just Cause 3 release date has been confirmed as December 1. Avalanche Software has not yet announced what it is working on next.