- Industry veteran and one of Duke Nukem’s creators, George Broussard, claims that upcoming Xbox layoffs may affect 2000 people.
- Besides the staggering figure, the dreaded tidal wave could also cause entire studios to shut down under the Xbox gaming division.
- Other reports have also suggested that Xbox is going to be hit by layoffs, but no one expected them to be on such a large scale.
Ever since COVID, the gaming scene has been hit with hundreds of layoffs that have affected many developers and led to the closure of studios. Microsoft has also cut thousands of employees over the years, and now a new wave will target the Xbox brand specifically.
A report yesterday revealed that Microsoft is now planning major job cuts for its gaming brand that will begin next week. However, now the industry veteran and one of Duke Nukem’s creators, George Broussard, claims that as many as 2000 workers could be impacted.
Why it matters: While layoffs have grown to become a common occurrence in the industry, the upcoming round might even cause irreparable damage to the Xbox division if the current report fully hits the mark.
As per George’s warning on Bluesky, the layoffs will be so devastating this time around that entire studios might end up closing. Therefore, many developers across most studios have been left anxious and worried about their future with the Xbox brand.
While the figures might be a bit exaggerated, George suggests that about 10% of the Xbox gaming brand, or even more, might be culled by Microsoft starting next week.
Microsoft has already cut back on many employees earlier this year, which also affected the Xbox brand. Similarly, 1900 developers were also fired by the company last year to cut back massively on its gaming division, including Activision Blizzard and ZeniMax.
So, while the future of Xbox’s upcoming gaming and even next-gen console lineup may look bright, the same cannot be said about the current morale and job security across the brand as a whole. Regardless, it is best to take these reports with a pinch of salt for now.
Do you think the approaching wave of layoffs will hit Xbox harder than ever before, or will it be similar to all the previous dismissals we have seen over the years? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.