Rumor has it that EA will be extending the long arm of layoffs and will be shutting down Pandemic Studios today. Pandemic, as some of you know, is the company responsible for (personal favorite) the Mercenaries series, Full Spectrum Warrior, and the first two Star Wars Battlefront games. It’s said that things have been tough for the California-based studio lately, with speculation that the poorly received Lord of the Rings: Conquest and the canceled Dark Knight project contributed to their downfall.

EA is expected to make 200 layoffs later today. We will update here should Pandemic or EA release a statement.

Update: In an internal EA memo that basically confirms the news of Pandemic shutting down, VP Nick Earl says:

“I want to make it clear that the Pandemic brand and franchises will live on. In the months ahead, we will announce plans for new games based on Pandemic franchises. This type of change can be difficult. But the situation calls for us to act decisively, to take control of our destiny and to run a stronger, more focused development operation. That’s how we will continue to make great games in our LA studios.”

So there you have it. The games you love will still live on (I smell a Mercenaries 3).

VG247
via GoNintendo

IGN