Midway's UK studio was shut down this morning and all staff let go as the time to find a buyer for the studio behind Wheelman and Necessary Force ran out, a Midway spokesman told Kotaku today.
"We can confirm we closed the Newcastle studio this morning, our time," said Geoffrey Mogilner, Midway spokesman. "During the notification period we were actively searching for bidders, and since we didn't find any unfortunately it was necessary to close it down.
"We tried really hard to find a solution for the Newcastle studio."
Midway CEO Matt Booty traveled to the studio to make the announcement in person to the roughly 80 people let go, Mogilner said. The announcement of the closure came at the end of the notification time required by UK law.
While the Wheelman IP is now owned by Warner Brothers Interactive, along with the Midway trademark and games such as Mortal Kombat and This is Vegas, no one has yet purchased Necessary Force, Mogilner said.
Under California law, Midway's San Diego studio still has until September to find a buyer.
"We are still hoping to find a buyer for the studio," Mogilner said.