New Wave of Layoffs Affecting 268 Employees at Xbox
Xbox is continuing its extensive restructuring process, which began at the start of the year, with a new wave of layoffs. According to an official statement from the company, a total of 268 positions are being eliminated across Halo Studios, other first-party teams, Xbox Game Studios management, and central units. This development follows the initial major cuts, which affected approximately 1,600 people, and shows that Microsoft’s plan to downsize its gaming organization is not yet complete.
Xbox Completes Three-Quarter of Restructuring
In a statement shared with employees by Xbox Game Studios President Matt Booty, it was stated that with studio sales and new layoffs since July, approximately 75% of the previously announced restructuring has been completed. Booty acknowledged that the process is difficult for both those who lost their jobs and the remaining teams, while acknowledging that the employees who left made significant contributions to Xbox.
The new cuts particularly affect Halo Studios and other first-party teams. Company management previously described this process as the biggest restructuring in Xbox history. In the first wave, four studios were divested, reducing the total workforce by approximately 8%, and some projects were canceled.
In addition to the layoffs, significant changes are being made to the studio organization. According to shared information, Halo will now be managed under the Activision umbrella, while a smaller team will remain within Halo Studios to continue supporting the community. Rare’s management will also be transferred to Activision.
It has been stated that Bethesda will manage Obsidian, King will manage Microsoft Casual Games, and Playground Games and Turn 10 are planned to be merged under a single structure. This will allow the Forza and Fable teams to work more closely together. It is not yet known which other teams will be affected in the remaining phase of the Xbox restructuring.
Read More: Halo Studios has Switched to Activision for the New Halo Game
