RUMOR - Level-5 may not be releasing any further games outside Japan, North American branch quietly shut down

A recent report on Gameindustry.biz suggests that Level-5, the company behind iconic games such as Professor Layton and Ni No Kuni, has quietly shut down their North American branch. Reports state that many employees have been laid off and that the company will no longer be publishing games outside of Japan.

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, both Level-5 International America and the company's spin-off office, Level-5 Abby, began winding down operations in the middle of last year, part of which included laying off the majority of both offices' staff.

The precise number of people impacted is unknown, as is the number of employees still currently in each office, but sources estimate around ten employees were laid off at Abby in August of 2019, and around the same number were let go at International America.

Sources say that no clear reason for the lay-offs was given, though those connected to Abby say that employees were "given every indication" that the studio would be closing down, with one or two employees remaining for a few more months to carry out essential functions throughout the process while the company consolidated its business between the Japan office and international advertising and branding company Dentsu.