Firaxis axes Civilization V staff

Upcoming turn-based strategy Civilization V's development team has been downsized by "approximately 20" heads, according to a statement by publisher Take-Two. Despite the layoffs, the latest in Sid Meier's classic strategy series remains set for release on September 21st. A Facebook version will be entering its beta phase "later this year".

"I can confirm that Firaxis has realigned its development resources in order to streamline its development process, reduce costs, and maximize the overall performance of the studio," claimed 2K's worldwide PR director Markus Wilding in a statement. "This will result in the elimination of approximately 20 positions."

Sid Meier himself is reported to have survived this round of redundancies.