Microsoft just axed over 9,000 workers from its ranks. The gaming side took the biggest hit with Xbox and its studios bearing the brunt of these cuts. Phil Spencer runs the Xbox team and says they want fewer management levels to make things run smoother. He told workers who lost their jobs they can apply for other gaming positions and their applications will jump to the front of the line. This massive job cutting spree started back at the beginning of 2024.
The tech giant began slashing positions at Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda after buying those companies. Last May brought another wave of cuts that wiped out three percent of workers and shut down three Bethesda studios completely. More job losses hit the gaming division later that year affecting hundreds more people. Microsoft keeps restructuring its gaming operations to make them leaner and more efficient.
Several major studios felt the pain from these recent layoffs. King makes the famous Candy Crush game and plans to cut about ten percent of its workers which means roughly 200 people lose their jobs. Rare develops games for Xbox and started major changes that killed off Everwild after announcing it back in 2019. Reports say Rare also scrapped its Perfect Dark reboot during this shakeup. ZeniMax got hit with cuts as well though details about their situation remain sketchy.
Spencer sent workers a message explaining that Xbox needs to match the bigger company plan by cutting management through these layoffs. He wants the division to focus on its best chances for success moving forward.
The tech giant began slashing positions at Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda after buying those companies. Last May brought another wave of cuts that wiped out three percent of workers and shut down three Bethesda studios completely. More job losses hit the gaming division later that year affecting hundreds more people. Microsoft keeps restructuring its gaming operations to make them leaner and more efficient.
Several major studios felt the pain from these recent layoffs. King makes the famous Candy Crush game and plans to cut about ten percent of its workers which means roughly 200 people lose their jobs. Rare develops games for Xbox and started major changes that killed off Everwild after announcing it back in 2019. Reports say Rare also scrapped its Perfect Dark reboot during this shakeup. ZeniMax got hit with cuts as well though details about their situation remain sketchy.
Spencer sent workers a message explaining that Xbox needs to match the bigger company plan by cutting management through these layoffs. He wants the division to focus on its best chances for success moving forward.
