Updated at 15:58 GMT, 18-06-2025: Blizzard president Mike Ybarra and chief design officer Allen Adham have announced that they are also leaving the company.
Microsoft is reportedly laying off 1,900 of its 22,000 video game staff followingthe $69 billion Activision Blizzard King acquisition.
As reported byIGN, Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced the news in an internal memo; “As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed to aligning on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business. Together, we’ve set priorities, identified areas of overlap, and ensured that we’re all aligned on the best opportunities for growth.
“As part of this process, we have made the painful decision to reduce the size of our gaming workforce by approximately 1,900 roles out of the 22,000 people on our team [8.6 percent]. The Gaming Leadership Team and I are committed to navigating this process as thoughtfully as possible. The people who are directly impacted by these reductions have all played an important part in the success of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, and the Xbox Teams, and they should be proud of everything they’ve accomplished here.”
Spencer adds that Microsoft will support those who are laid off with severance benefits in line with local employment laws and that the company is now notifying those who have lost their jobs.
“We ask that you please treat your departing colleagues with the respect and compassion that is consistent with our values,” Spencer writes. “Looking ahead, we’ll continue to invest in areas that will grow our business and support our strategy of bringing more games to more players around the world. Although this is a difficult moment for our team, I’m as confident as ever in your ability to create and nurture the games, stories, and worlds that bring players together.”
As reported byKotaku(when factoring in today’s news), over 5,800 people have been laid off in the video games industry this month alone. AsVGCdocumented, 9,000 employees were laid off last year, meaning that we’ve reached over half of that number in 2024 already. It’s an awful start to the year, but hopefully, things will quiet down soon.
