No matter how much success a studio has these days with a title release, it seems that once a title is completed layoffs hit the studio. While Red Dead Redemption is being hailed as one of the possible early candidates for game of the year, developer Rockstar San Diego has been hit with a round of layoffs that will apparently see about 40 studio employees get the axe.

Take-Two is spinning the layoffs at Rockstar San Diego as just a business decision that is related to the end of the Red Dead Redemption project, and a realignment of resources for the next projects that the studio is working on going forward. This isn’t the only Take-Two studio that has been hit with layoffs; recently, Civilization developer Firaxis has seen its headcount drop by 20 with recent layoffs, as well.

Take-Two has admitted that the release timelines on titles have to improve, but stopped short of suggesting that cuts were necessary to help get the company to a better profitability model. Most recently, as we previously told you, Take-Two confirmed more delays on upcoming titles with both Mafia II and Max Payne 3 having their release dates pushed out.