Rovio Entertainment, creator of the hit Angry Birds mobile game, entertainment and licensing franchise, may eliminate up to 35 jobs or nearly 10% of total employees as it restructures its animation business. The reductions will be part of operational changes being made to its serial cartoons production team, reports The Financial Express.
“We’re working very closely with our employees to see how to organize our animation unit, support functions and management,” said Rovio Ent. Oy spokesperson Kaisu Karvala.
The cuts would not affect the company’s feature film or games divisions.
The Finnish company has already seen hundreds of layoffs in recent years as it adjusts to waning interest in its (still very popular) games and a lack of repeat success on the level of the Angry Birds phenom. In the plus column, last year’s The Angry Birds Movie opened at No. 1 in markets including the US and China and went on to gross nearly $350 million at the global box office.
Rovio recently stated that its game business also had its most profitable year in 2016, though it has not yet released a detailed annual report. The company is planning to open a new game studio in London.
Rovio Animation is the producer of several animated series titles inspired by its flagship franchise, viewable on its multiplatform channel ToonsTV: Angry Birds Toons, Piggy Tales, Angry Birds Stella and Piggy Tales: Pigs at Work.
