Auran CEO Confirms Layoffs, Denies Studio Closure; Down Under Developer Not Going Under

Independent Australian developer Auran has confirmed recent reports of layoffs within the company via its official forum, though CEO Tony Hilliam notes that "the death of Auran and Fury has been greatly exaggerated."

Despite "a bright and long future" for the recently released PvP-focused MMO Fury (PC), Hilliam admits that the game "started off slower than expected" and that its future does not involve all of the 60-person team that created it.

Instead, "a smaller, more agile core team" will work on continued support of the game, with some of the new content outsourced to Chinese development studios. The first Fury expansion, Age of the Chosen, is slated to hit December 14 and reportedly fixes many of the complaints surrounding the game, with more changes said to on the way.

Hilliam claims the studio is working to relocate some of its former staff with neighboring developer Tantalus, where they would work on Wii and DS projects.

Along with Fury, Auran was responsible for the recent budget-priced PC and Xbox Live Arcade title based on the beloved resurrection of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. According to an anonymous source, Fury was "a financial disaster."