Xbox’s Game Pass Focus One of Leading Causes Behind Layoffs, Implies Ex-Arkane Studios Founder

Expert Verified By

He Believes Game Pass Is An Unsustainable Model!

Story Highlight
  • The former Arkane Studios founder implies that Xbox’s focus on Game Pass was a primary reason behind the recent huge layoffs.
  • He argues that the subscription model is predatory and cannot be sustained without damaging other models in the industry. 
  • Michael Douse, publishing director of Larian Studios, also agreed with the take but claims Game Pass does help out smaller projects.

Just a few days ago, Microsoft suffered massive layoffs that affected 9000 employees. These job cuts have also left the Xbox brand shaken, with a slew of developers laid off across multiple studios amid project cancellations.

Former Arkane founder Raphael Colantonio claims Xbox’s focus on Game Pass contributed to the layoffs. He believes this subscription service cannot coexist with other models in the gaming industry.

Why it matters: Many notable figures in the gaming scene argue that Microsoft’s focus on the Game Pass model may have contributed to the recent layoff spree, which also affected Xbox.

The former Arkane Studios founder claims Game Pass is to be blamed for the latest Xbox layoffs.
The former founder of Arkane Studios claims that Game Pass is to blame for the latest Xbox layoffs.

Raphael clarifies on Twitter that Game Pass is predatory and unsustainable, as it hurts game sales, even if executives initially deny those claims. Many Xbox gamers also appear to share this sentiment, as a significant number of Xbox users boycotted Game Pass following the layoffs.

I think Gamepass is an unsustainable model that has been increasingly damaging the industry for a decade, subsidized by MS’s ‘infinite money,’ but at some point reality has to hit.

Michael Douse, Larian’s publishing director, agreed and said he prefers Sony’s lifecycle strategy over Game Pass. However, he believes that Game Pass is a safe haven for smaller studios with new or riskier IPs.

Xbox Game Pass
Many fans have also defended Game Pass in the past for the value it offers.

Raphael also asserts that only gamers like Game Pass because its value feels too good to be true until they discover the negative effects it is having on the market. He believes GP can only exist alongside other models if it’s for the ‘back catalog.’ 

Do you think Microsoft made the drastic decision to lay off thousands of employees due to Xbox Game Pass, in addition to its AI initiatives? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Rockstar Plans Project ROME Mod Platform to Let GTA 6 Players Build Custom Content

Rockstar is planning to make GTA 6 a platform via Project ROME, which will help players create custom content for the game.

Unreal Engine 5.7 Promises Major Fixes: Speed, Stability, And Advanced Lighting

Unreal Engine 5.7 brings a variety of improvements, including optimization in GPU generation and game thread performance.

Resident Evil Requiem Producer Says Fans Believing Leaks Annoys Him

Resident Evil Requiem has been leaked for many months at this point, but the producer says that fans should not believe everything.

Ghost of Yotei Impresses on Standard PS5 in Graphics Comparison With PS5 Pro

Testing shows that Ghost of Yotei is so well-optimized that its graphics and performance are quite decent on the PS5 compared to the Pro.

Xbox ROG Ally X Pre-Orders Already Sold Out Despite Beefy $1000 Price Tag

Xbox ROG Ally X has been in such high demand that its pre-orders have already sold out despite the high $1000 price tag.