More dark times for Xbox.
Microsoft has laid off thousands of its employees, with cuts also causing the cancellation of titles like Perfect Dark, Everwild, and more.
“Today we are sharing decisions that will impact colleagues across our organization. To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness,” Xbox head Phil Spencer wrote to employees in a statement sighted by Variety. “Out of respect for those impacted today, the specifics of today’s notifications and any organizational shifts will be shared by your team leaders in the coming days.
“I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger,” Spencer added. “The success we’re seeing currently is based on tough decisions we’ve made previously.”
“We have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio,” added Xbox’s Matt Booty in a statement obtained by The Verge. “As part of this, we are closing one of our studios, The Initiative. These decisions, along with other changes across our teams, reflect a broader effort to adjust priorities and focus resources to set up our teams for greater success within a changing industry landscape. We did not make these choices lightly, as each project and team represent years of effort, imagination, and commitment.”
“We continue to implement organizational and workforce changes that are necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” an Microsoft representative said of the cuts.
The Verge reports that studios including King, ZeniMax, and Turn 10 have been impacted by layoffs, while Aftermath adds that Blizzard has also been impacted.
This is Xbox’s fourth stint of layoffs in the last 18 months.
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.
