Starhawk developer lays off 24, agreement with Sony ended

Starhawk developer LightBox Interactive has laid off 24 of its employees and its contract with Sony has been ended. Polygon spoke with studio founder and president Dylan Jobe about what he called the company's "shift in product strategy."

Jobe said LightBox will no longer focus on console titles, and plans to self-fund an iOS game as its next project. Starhawk released as a PlayStation Network exclusive on May 8 in North America.

A Sony representative acknowledged our requests for comment on the end of the publisher's relationship with the Austin-based developer.

"Sony Computer Entertainment can confirm that it has amicably ended its working agreement with developer LightBox Interactive, Inc.," the representative told us. "We have had a positive and long-standing working relationship with this talented studio, and wish them the best of success in their next endeavor. Starhawk and Warhawk will continue to be supported by Santa Monica Studio."

LightBox was founded in 2009 by several former employees of Incognito Entertainment, the studio responsible for Twisted Metal: Black and War of the Monsters.