Bandai Namco Announces Workforce Reduction Following Cancellation of Multiple Game Titles

Bandai Namco has reportedly initiated a workforce reduction. According to a Bloomberg report, this move comes after the cancellation of several game titles due to underwhelming demand. Although GamesIndustry.biz has reached out for a statement, no response has been received yet. Sources close to the matter have revealed that the company is adopting a traditional Japanese approach to staff reduction, where affected employees are moved to dedicated rooms with no assigned tasks, indirectly encouraging them to resign voluntarily. It is claimed that approximately 200 out of 1300 employees have been reassigned to these so-called "expulsion rooms" or "oidashi beya", with nearly half of them having already submitted their resignations. In response to these allegations, Bandai Namco has stated that its objective is not to force employees out of the company. "Our decision to discontinue certain games is based on thorough evaluations of the situation," a company spokesperson explained. "While some employees may experience a waiting period before being assigned to their next project, we proceed with new assignments as soon as fresh projects emerge. There is no such organization as an 'oidashi beya' within Bandai Namco Studios that aims to pressure people into leaving voluntarily." The company has also denied the accuracy of information posted on an anonymous website. In related news, Riot Games recently confirmed that it has eliminated 32 roles related to League of Legends.