Microsoft Shuts Down DEI Team; Staff Claims Inclusivity No Longer Important

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Abdullah Waseem

At T4G, my task is to cover the latest news around the gaming globe ASAP and with the utmost precision. I adore all the games and respect all the devs behind the amazing games that we get all year. So, whether it’s a PC or a Console game, I got it all covered. 

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In an industry where DEI has become a massive deal, with the likes of Sweet Baby Inc. being huge forces, Microsoft has been accused of evidenced discrimination. The company recently shut down its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) team as a part of its new business strategy. 

Why it matters: Forced inclusivity has certainly become a huge part of the industry today. This is a bigger deal for Microsoft since DEI is also big in gaming today.

According to the email sent by the DEI team lead to employees, Microsoft mentioned that the department has reached its shelf life. The email further reads that the teams were created for a 3-5-year purpose model, and many companies are looking to shut them down.

DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020.

– Microsoft Email

The strategy was put in place after the George Floyd incident back in 2020. The mail states that the timing of that shift in strategy was impeccable so all businesses could reevaluate their ways if their federal contracts came at risk.

Moreover, the mail takes a dig at the leadership saying that the team was the victim of ‘investigated and evidenced discrimination, harassment, and toxicity‘. The team lead also praised the employees, stating that they helped make the world a better place. 

While the extent of these layoffs is currently unknown, Microsoft has been no stranger to job cuts this year. After reducing Xbox’s workforce by more than 1900 people, the tech giant is still cutting teams off.

The company also recently closed Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. 

The company itself hasn’t released any statement on the matter, but talking to Business Wire, Microsoft revealed its stance on DEI is still going strong. It seems to be continuing work on future projects with these principles.

Abdullah Waseem

News Reporter

Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.