Rovio to Lay Off One-Third of Workforce

ESPOO: Angry Birds creator Rovio Entertainment has concluded employee negotiations that will see it shed nearly a third of its workforce as it shifts gears to focus on movie productions.

Rovio is set to eliminate 213 positions, slightly less than the reported 260 posts announced in August. The company has stated the restructure is meant to boost its concentration on games, media and consumer products. While the layoffs applied to the whole organization, the production staff in the U.S. and Canada working on The Angry Birds Movie was not affected. The film is due out next year.

A company statement said Rovio “will actively provide career support for those made redundant as a result of the reorganization.”