Microsoft is shedding 1,900 staff — or round 8% of Microsoft Gaming’s 22,000 staff. The vast majority of layoffs are at Activision Blizzard, although cuts will influence Xbox and ZeniMax staff, too. The memo from Microsoft Gaming chief Phil Spencer: It has been a bit of over three months for the reason that Activision, Blizzard, and King groups joined Microsoft. As we transfer ahead in 2024, the management of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is dedicated to aligning on a technique and an execution plan with a sustainable value construction that may assist the entire of our rising enterprise. Collectively, we have set priorities, recognized areas of overlap, and ensured that we’re all aligned on the most effective alternatives for development.
As a part of this course of, we’ve got made the painful choice to cut back the scale of our gaming workforce by roughly 1900 roles out of the 22,000 folks on our group. The Gaming Management Crew and I are dedicated to navigating this course of as thoughtfully as attainable. The people who find themselves instantly impacted by these reductions have all performed an vital half within the success of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax and the Xbox groups, and they need to be pleased with every part they’ve completed right here. We’re grateful for all the creativity, ardour and dedication they’ve delivered to our video games, our gamers and our colleagues. We are going to present our full assist to those that are impacted in the course of the transition, together with severance advantages knowledgeable by native employment legal guidelines. These whose roles can be impacted can be notified, and we ask that you just please deal with your departing colleagues with the respect and compassion that’s according to our values.
Trying forward, we’ll proceed to spend money on areas that may develop our enterprise and assist our technique of bringing extra video games to extra gamers world wide. Though this can be a troublesome second for our group, I am as assured as ever in your potential to create and nurture the video games, tales and worlds that convey gamers collectively.