Angry Birds maker Rovio sacks almost half of staff after it 'did too many things'

The company is looking to reduce its headcount by up to 38 per cent, in an attempt to focus on its core games

A child touches a Bad Piggies stuffed toy from the Angry Birds game during a press conference in Taipei on September 27, 2012 (SAM YEH/AFP/GettyImages)

Rovio, the maker of Angry Birds, is looking to lay off 38 per cent of its staff because it “did too many things”.

The company — whose most famous game is Angry Birds, but also makes other games like Jolly Jam and Stella Pop — said that it would “restructure its businesses around three primary business areas. That will involve negotiating redundancies for up to 260 staff, it said.

Only the staff working on The Angry Birds Movie in the US and Canada will be safe from the cuts, it said.

The company said that its problem had been looking to do too much as a result of its quick growth. Rovio grew fast off the back of Angry Birds, which became a success not just in its games but with whole sets of merchandise and other products.

“This is personally a difficult decision,” said CEO Pekka Rantala in a statement. “However, it is certain that a leaner and more agile Rovio is absolutely necessary to move forward and take the company to new successes in the future. We will work with and support all our employees through this period of change.

“Rovio’s growth and eagerness to explore new business opportunities over the past few years has been exceptional. As a result, we did too many things.

In our current financial condition we must now put focus on where we are at our best: in creating magnificent gaming experiences, in producing an amazing animation movie and in delighting our fans with great products.”

The company released its most recent major game, Angry Birds 2, last month.