Rovio Copenhagen to Close After Sonic Blitz Cancellation

Summary

Rovio has announced the closure of its Copenhagen studio following the cancellation of its in-development title Sonic Blitz. The studio, which was part of Rovio’s European development network, had been working on the game for some time, and around 20 employees were reportedly involved. While the exact number of staff affected by the closure has yet to be disclosed, the move signals a significant downsizing for the company. Alex Pelletier-Normand, COO of Sega West and CEO of Rovio, explained that the decision came after internal analytics showed that user retention was below the expected threshold. This is the latest in a series of strategic shifts for Rovio since it was acquired by Sega in 2023. The Finnish company, best known for the Angry Birds franchise, has been struggling to replicate its earlier success in the increasingly competitive mobile gaming landscape. By shutting down the Copenhagen office, Sega aims to consolidate resources and double down on projects with higher commercial potential. The cancellation of Sonic Blitz is particularly noteworthy because it involves the Sonic the Hedgehog IP, a flagship brand for Sega. It demonstrates that even popular franchises are not immune to cancellation if early testing fails to meet performance targets. For players, this means a Sonic mobile game that many were looking forward to will not be coming out, at least in its…