Bandai Namco will close its Santa Clara office in April 2022, according to a recent report. However, the developer and publisher will give employees the option to relocate to a new location. The Santa Clara office currently has roughly one hundred and fifty to two hundred staff members, who will have to operate under a hybrid of remote and in-person work once the change goes into effect, as remote full-time remote work will no longer be available. [Thanks, GameIndustry.biz!]
Where Bandai Namco’s Santa Clara office will relocate to has yet to be detailed. However, a spokesperson for the company did release a statement. This included the reason for Bandai Namco’s decision, which mentions cross integration and the opening of “new opportunities for cross-collaboration across its entire portfolio.” Additionally, it was reported that relocation and severance packages are currently being put together.
In February 2021, it was announced that Bandai Namco would be doing a major restructuring of the company. This specifically concerned the merging the Network Entertainment Unit and the Toy and Hobby Business Unit, which were effectively combined into the Entertainment Unit. This merger is part of a “three unit system” that was created in response to Bandai Namco aiming for a new strategic direction for the company.
