More than 40 staff members at 2K Czech, the studio behind crime epic Mafia 2, are looking for new jobs following redundancies this week.

According to a statement handed to Develop, the cuts, which represent about a quarter of the studio's total workforce, are part of a cost-cutting drive.

The publisher confirmed that 2K Czech "has realigned its resources to streamline the development process, reduce costs and maximize studio performance.

"This will result in the elimination of approximately 40 positions and primarily impact the 2K Czech studio in Brno. While this was a difficult decision, we believe it will benefit the studio in the long-term."

"Our goal to create world-class video game titles remains unchanged," a spokesperson added.

Founded as Illusion Softworks back in 1997, the studio has released two titles since being re-branded 2K Czech in 2008 - Mafia 2 in 2010 and Top Spin 4 in 2011.