"With the recent completion of Singularity, Raven Software is realigning its workforce to better reflect the studio's upcoming slate."  That’s Activision’s way of saying “Get your shit and get out” to about 40 employees of the developer of such games as Singularity, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Raven Software was founded in 1990 as an independent development house, but was bought by Activision in 1997.  Since then, the studio has produced a slew of games for Activision, including several Marvel titles, as well as Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast, Jedi Knight: Jedi Apprentice, Wolfenstein, and Quake 4.  Last year, the studio’s three development teams were reduced to two.  This announcement brings the total to one studio, which will focus on downloadable content.

The diminishing of a studio, especially one that’s been around as long as Raven, is always disheartening, but at least they aren’t completely gone.  Of course, the studio is now focused on DLC, so who knows just how long they’ll be around once they’re finished with whatever downloadable content they’re working on now.  Regardless, with the original development house so drastically reduced in size, it looks like we’ll probably never get another decent X-Men Legends/Marvel: Ultimate Alliance game.