Jagex, the massively multiplayer factory behind Runescape, is closing one of its MMOs. The empire-building game 8realms has spent some time in beta, but the test didn't draw a large enough crowd to push forward into a full version. As a result, job losses are expected to hit the studio soon.

"Jagex has always been committed to creating fun and compelling games," said RuneScape COO Daniel Clough. "During the 8Realms beta it has become clear that the game doesn't meet our high expectations for success and we are therefore channeling our focus on other exciting opportunities in the pipeline."

Develop reports that 8realms only received a tenth of the users it would need to turn a profit, so those high expectations were probably at least partly based in making a bigger splash. Sources say that some staff will lose their jobs while others will be moved within the company.

While Jagex is most known for Runescape, it's been known to juggle multiple projects at once. Currently the studio is at work on a Transformers MMO, which is aiming to launch later this year.