DefianceScreen 18 May

A representative for Defiance developer Trion Worlds has issued a statement to Polygon today, confirming that the studio has been hit by layoffs.

“To best position Trion in a rapidly changing industry, we have reorganized our teams and are expanding our free to play offering.” The statement read, in part. “As we progress from launch to ongoing development of the game [Defiance], we are adjusting our staffing levels to deliver new content and improved features. Rift, and our other titles in development, were unaffected by these changes.”

The representative also said that the reports on layoff numbers at the studio being as high as 70-80% were “grossly exaggerated”, although they did not comment on the actual figures. The rep also said reports claiming Trion employees were escorted out of the building or would not receive severance pay were also false.

Trion’s San Diego studio is currently primary developer for its MMO Defiance, while the office in Redwood Shores is developing Rift. Trion announced Tuesday that Rift will be free-to-play starting June 12th.

(via Polygon)