Kabam reduces staff size as it realigns towards mobile development (update)

Free-to-play gaming publisher Kabam laid off "small number of employees in the overall employee base" and aims to hire 200 more employees later this year as it realigns itself into mobile development, according to a GamesIndustry International report.

Kabam's big growth and focus is in mobile games, and some people were laid off because their positions did not align with the company's new direction. "As much as possible we tried to find positions for everyone affected," Steve Swasey, Kabam's VP of corporate communications told GamesIndustry International. "We were able to do that with some but not with others."

Last month, Kabam announced that it will bring its game catalog to streaming site Twitch on browsers and mobile devices, allowing Twitch users to play Kabam's own games and third-party Kabam published titles. Some of the company's notable games include browser-based tactical combat game The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age, The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth and iOS movie tie-in Fast & Furious 6: The Game.

Polygon reached out to Kabam for more information about its recent staff reductions and will update this post as more information becomes available.

Update: Swasey confirmed the staff reductions with Polygon and expects a significant increase in the company's workforce by the end of 2013.

"Kabam will hire more that 200 people by the end of the year, surpassing 900 employees, as the company hits $300 million in revenue, a 66 percent increase over 2012," Swasey told Polygon.