NCsoft North America underwent significant restructuring last week, prompting rumors that its latest major MMO, Tabula Rasa, would soon be canned.

But a company rep claimed otherwise, in a Thursday interview with Edge.

Asked if NCsoft is still committed to the sci-fi MMO, David Swofford, PR director for NCsoft North America assured, "Absolutely. [The restructuring] has no impact on Tabula Rasa. ... I don't know where the rumors are coming from, but with [marketing blitz] Operation Immortality in full swing, the team's very dedicated to that game, and they are still working on it."

He admitted that an MMO company always would like a larger subscriber base for its games, but added, "Support for that game is not going away."

NCsoft's Tabula Rasa marketing program Operation Immortality involves having celebrities' and gamers' digitized DNA literally released into space, just in case humankind is eradicated. Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert was the latest to offer up his genetic legacy for the program, an indication that NCsoft is continuing to try to drum up more support for the game in the crowded MMO space.

NCsoft does not reveal subscriber numbers, but Swofford indicated that Tabula Rasa's base is large enough to justify continuing support.

"We wouldn't be supporting the game today if we didn't believe it was worth it," he said.

NCsoft Austin, whose parent is based in South Korea, announced this week the formation of NC West. The restructuring initiative caused 12 redundancies at NCsoft Austin, Swofford confirmed. Around 50 of NCsoft's Brighton, U.K. employees are also reportedly targeted for layoffs.

About 250 employees still work at NCsoft Austin consisting of development, customer support, quality assurance, Swofford said.

He added that along with the restructuring, NCsoft intends on focusing more on triple-A MMOs. The firm also currently publishes Guild Wars and City of Heroes.

"Seattle is a prime area for gaming right now," he said. "...There's a lot of positives to the move."