Microsoft have reportedly set in motion the wave of layoffs the company were said to be gearing up for last week – the fourth round of major job cuts to hit Xbox in 18 months.
IGN claim that MS have begun informing staff of the cuts today, June 2nd, with workers based in Europe seemingly the first to learn their fates.
Bloomberg claim that Candy Crush developers King, acquired by Microsoft as part of the Activision Blizzard deal in 2023, are laying off 10% of their staff, which is “about 200 jobs”. They also report that the European arm of Zenimax, Bethesda’s parent company, are cutting staff, but there aren’t any numbers to share as of this writing.
According to The Seattle Times, Microsoft have said that as much as 4% of the company’s total employees, roughly 9,100 workers across all of its departments, could be affected by these layoffs.
While Microsoft have yet to comment on all this publicly, IGN have circulated an email from Xbox chief Phil Spencer to all of the staff in Microsoft’s gaming division about today’s layoffs. You can read it in full below:
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. 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. The success we’re seeing currently is based on tough decisions we’ve made previously. We must make choices now for continued success in future years and a key part of that strategy is the discipline to prioritize the strongest opportunities. We will protect what is thriving and concentrate effort on areas with the greatest potential, while delivering on the expectations the company has for our business. This focused approach means we can deliver exceptional games and experiences for players for generations to come.
Prioritizing our opportunities is essential, but that does not lessen the significance of this moment. Simply put, we would not be where we are today without the time, energy, and creativity of those whose roles are impacted. These decisions are not a reflection of the talent, creativity, and dedication of the people involved. Our momentum is not accidental — it is the result of years of dedicated effort from our teams.
HR is working directly with impacted employees to provide severance plan benefits (aligned with local laws), including pay, healthcare coverage, and job placement resources to support their transition. Employees whose roles were eliminated are encouraged to explore open positions across Microsoft Gaming, where their applications will be given priority review.
Thank you to everyone who has shaped our culture, our products, and our community. We will move forward with deep appreciation and respect for all who have contributed to this journey.
This a breaking story, with more information likely to follow. We’ll keep you posted.
