Funcom announces "cost reductions and forced leave" are underway at the Norwegian arm of the developer to help control costs (thanks GamesIndustry.biz via E24). Word is about 20% of their workforce are impacted by cuts or forced leave, and that this will delay The Secret World, their upcoming MMORPG:

Funcom N.V has initiated a program of cost reductions, reductions in head count and use of forced leave (permittering) to better align the Company's operations to the current marketplace.

Around 20 % of the staff of the Company will be affected by headcount reductions or forced leave, mostly in the Company's Norwegian subsidiary.

The Company's development of the Age of Conan expansion pack and its preparations for launch in Korea will continue as planned, as will the preparations for the limited beta of its first free- to-play MMO scheduled to take place during Q4. The development of The Secret World will be some months extended due to the initiatives with even more focus on ensuring the delivery of a game that is fully in line with the high expectations amongst fans and gamers across the world.