Flagship: we're not sinking

Hellgate: London developer Flagship Studios has countered comments made by one of its own staffers that suggested a mass exodus of employees from the studio.

Guy Somberg, a programmer at Flagship, said in a recent post on his personal blog that "People are leaving. In droves, they're leaving" the company.

But Flagship on Wednesday swatted away Somberg's comments, which circulated the Web this week.

"Everyone has good days and bad days. Guy was having a bad day. ... He vented, exaggerated, and posted information that was inaccurate," stated Flagship CVO David Brevik in a statement issued to Next Generation.

Brevik said that both Flagship's San Francisco and Seattle studios are fully staffed, with the former working on Hellgate content, and the latter working on the free-to-play MMORPG Mythos.

He said that over 100 employees currently work for both studios, and that Hellgate's team is as big now as when the game shipped.

Brevik added, "As is typical in the industry, after a game is released some people naturally want to work on something else and they leave the company to do so. But in total we have had less than 10 percent turn-over and have rehired for all needed positions."

Somberg's comments came months after the October 2007 release of Hellgate: London, a highly anticipated game that fizzled with critics and consumers when it launched.

Brevik said, "We will be the first to admit that Hellgate: London did launch with some problems. The game would certainly have benefited from a couple more months in the oven, but as an independent developer we didn't have the ability to delay our ship date.

"...The game is much better now and we believe in the future of Hellgate."

Courtesy of Next Generation.

Jun 12, 2008

CATEGORIES
Latest in RPG
Official art for Hopetown, featuring a group of miners looking towards the camera.
The battle to steal the Disco Elysium successor's spotlight continues as former and current ZA/UM devs reveal teasers for their new RPGs simultaneously
Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Zero Dawn's Aloy is the star of Sony's leaked AI-powered character prototype, which allows users to ask questions to an unsettling, emotionless version of the protagonist
Atomfall screenshot
Fallout: New Vegas is a big inspiration for Atomfall, which is why you’ll be able to kill every NPC in post-apocalyptic Cumbria
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin's Creed Shadows' transmog looks set to combine the best of Odyssey and Vahalla to make changing my drip easier than ever
Stardew Valley Baldur's Gate 3 mod Baldur's Village
Baldur's Gate 3 director Swen Vincke gives his official approval to the Stardew Valley mod that brings the D&D RPG to Pelican Town
The Witcher 3 lead says "not many games" were trying to match the RPG back in 2015, and that meant "there was a risk" to making it in the first place
Latest in News
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds dev says the game's success is thanks to an "emphasis on the story," but I think that's only a tiny aspect of it
Agricola: Dead Harvest zombie farming board game artwork
Legendary farming board game Agricola just announced a zombie-fueled horror standalone, but fans seem to think it's an early April Fools joke
Jack Quaid in Novocaine
The Boys star Jack Quaid's commitment to the bit is unmatched as his latest marketing stunt for upcoming action movie Novocaine goes viral
George R. R. Martin in Dark Winds season 3
Game of Thrones creator makes sudden cameo in TV show for apparent joke about The Winds of Winter
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again had Disney Plus' biggest premiere of 2025, but its viewership is lower than Agatha All Along and The Acolyte
Beyond the Ice Palace 2
After 37 years, this Commodore 64 classic returns with a new Metroidvania sequel that gives serious old-school Castlevania vibes