Activision eyeing possible closure of Call of Duty mobile studio

Activision's mobile-game studio in the U.K., Leeds-based The Blast Furnace, may be in trouble — a representative for the publisher told Polygon today that it's "exploring all [its] options regarding the studio."

The studio was founded in November 2011 as Activision Leeds before being renamed in August 2012 to The Blast Furnace. Its most recent title was Call of Duty: Strike Team, the first- and third-person shooter that launched on iOS and Android last year. Other games from the studio include a mobile version of Pitfall!, the Atari 2600 platformer. The Blast Furnace is one of two Activision-owned studios in the U.K., the other being DJ Hero developer FreeStyleGames.

Activision is currently working with The Blast Furnace to try and salvage the studio rather than close it, according to a statement from the publisher.

"As we focus on our 2014 operating plan, we are aligning our resources against our anticipated business requirements," the statement reads. "As part of this review, we have started a consultation at Blast Furnace based in Leeds in the U.K. Blast Furnace is a very talented studio and has been a great partner to Activision. As part of this consultation exercise we are exploring all our options regarding the studio."

It's unclear at this point what those options are. Activision could be looking to close The Blast Furnace, restructure it or reassign some of its employees to other positions within Activision. The publisher used very similar language regarding Blur developer Bizarre Creations, before the studio closed its doors in February 2011. MCV reports that The Blast Furnace currently has 47 employees, which means that under U.K. law, the studio is entitled to a consultation period of at least 30 days before closure.