Xbox's planned 3,200 layoffs by July 2027 are already easily the biggest round of layoffs the industry has ever seen if taken at mere face value, but Bloomberg's Jason Schreier argues that's just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. In a new YouTube video, the journalist highlights the "hidden cuts" of the many contractors that were linked to a canceled project. Nowadays, triple-A game development involves several studios working together, some of which are external. For example, he reveals that the Perfect Dark reboot wasn't developed solely by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics: sister studio Eidos Montréal was also involved, […]

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There's no other way to describe the latest Microsoft Xbox layoffs under parent company Microsoft Gaming than tragic. With 3,200 jobs getting cut by July 2027, it's no surprise that studios from Bethesda Softworks to Obsidian Entertainment have been significantly impacted, but it feels like few have been hit as hard as id Software, the legendary development studio behind the DOOM and Quake series. An official statement released a few days ago downplayed the brutal reset, but it seems like the situation is as dire as it looked like when the first reports came in, as the cuts may have […]

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Amid all the problems that besiege Microsoft's Xbox division, the studio divestitures, the layoffs, the declining business, and even the loss of a few million Game Pass subscribers, lies one lingering question: what actually is Xbox? A platform or the biggest third-party publisher? Microsoft certainly tried its damnedest to confuse consumers with its constantly shifting strategy regarding first-party content, as well as the delirious "This Is an Xbox" campaign. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma quickly tossed it in the trash after taking over from Phil Spencer, seeking a return to the brand's core values. But even she admitted that there's a fundamental […]

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Montréal-based developer Compulsion Games is among the studios that were officially divested from Microsoft's Xbox last week. Indeed, Compulsion Games (like Double Fine Productions) was sold back to its own management and has therefore returned to full independence, but that does not mean they won't need partners. In fact, they haven't wasted any time at all in opening the search. A few hours ago, the official LinkedIn account of the studio posted the following call-out message to fellow industry members: With Compulsion Games returning to its roots as an independent developer, we are expanding opportunities to collaborate with studios across […]

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Halo Studios leaker Rebs Gaming, who previously delivered several reports on upcoming Halo titles, has now dedicated his latest video to the alleged mismanagement of the studio's leadership. Rebs Gaming's sources blame specifically studio head Pierre Hintze, who reportedly has created a hostile environment and mismanaged projects, while Microsoft HR and senior Xbox leadership allegedly failed to intervene. Hintze was promoted from production lead to studio head on September 13, 2022, amid a company-wide restructuring that followed Halo Infinite. Rebs Gaming received accounts from current and former Halo Studios staff, who spoke anonymously because they are constrained by NDAs or […]

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