We hate to see news like this pop up online. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon lately to see job cuts within the video game industry. However, regardless of how often we see it, it’s still a pain to report on. This time around, it appears that the next set of losses will be attributed to Microsoft’s job cuts in the Xbox gaming division.
This is just a report right now, and nothing has officially been confirmed. However, the report does come from a reliable insider who has made quite a name for themselves. Thanks to Jason Schreier from Bloomberg, we’re finding out that Microsoft is conducting a new round of major layoffs in the Xbox gaming division next week. Likewise, according to Bloomberg, the layoffs are part of a company-wide reorganization.
Going a bit further, the report notes that this is the fourth major layoff Xbox has experienced in the past eighteen months. Those layoffs are also apparently due to Microsoft’s top executives seeking to increase profits after the behemoth $69 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard closed. While Microsoft has made new moves to expand its gaming division, including the launch of titles across rival platforms and a push for cloud gaming, it appears that profits are not rising fast enough to prevent another round of layoffs.
While Bloomberg has sources familiar with the matter, no official comments from Microsoft have been made directly. We’ll have to wait and see what the official statement is when Microsoft begins to implement the job cuts. We’re also wondering just which teams are being targeted and what that could mean for some of the current schedules and plans for these upcoming games. At any rate, if the report is to be believed, the news won’t be too far off, as Microsoft will start the cuts next week. Until then, we’ll have to wait for official word to come out.
