The company first laid off around 1,900 employees in gendut 188 January 2024, mostly from Activision Blizzard King. Following that, three ZeniMax Media studios were closed in May 2024, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, although the latter was purchased by PUBG owner Krafton and revived in a last-minute deal. Finally, another 650 employees were cut in September 2024, again mostly from Activision Blizzard King. Additional details regarding the Microsoft layoffs and which divisions have been impacted (sources tell Variety that the cuts in gaming do not make up the majority) are expected to be shared later Wednesday. “We continue to implement organizational and workforce changes that are necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a Microsoft spokesperson said Wednesday.

Windows Central reports that Perfect Dark developer The Initiative will close as part of the reductions sweeping the company, and its revival of the 2000 first-person shooter game has been canceled. “We continue to implement organizational and workforce changes that are necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” Microsoft spokesperson Jeff Jones told WIRED. The company says that although gaming is impacted, it does not make up the majority of layoffs, and these cuts will affect people in different regions, tenure, and teams. Following rumors of reductions that first began last week, Microsoft is set to lay off more than 9,000 employees worldwide Wednesday, including some in the Microsoft Gaming/Xbox division.

Latest About Gaming Industry

The revenge flick is being developed by a single developer, and is coming to Steam next year. The legends at Capcom have shown a new trailer for the Onimusha reboot, dubbed Way of the Sword. It looks absolutely fantastic, with tight hack n’ slash combat, and a 2026 launch window for Xbox and PC.

Version 1.0 doesn’t have a release date, but it will add the rogue-lite’s true ending and polish all of the current content. The next update to the „unstable” version of Project Zomboid brings quite a few improvements to the zombie spawning system, animations, and visual effects. Moreover, the possibility of extending the day has been introduced, which comes with additional chances, but also makes survival more difficult. People Can Fly recently canceled two major games, one of which is supposed to be Outriders 2. The Nintendo Switch 2 appears to have sold 5 million units, according to a now-removed post from Nintendo. The developers responsible for the realistic life simulator have managed to solve the mystery of disappearing newborns and Zois abandoning their chores.

Arch-Tempered Uth Duna, a monster that channels thunder, is all set for a huge debut in the… Enter a world where Gaston learns about feminism, and Jafar is a pseudo-crypto mogul. How to Watch Our guide on how to live stream all the Italian Serie A soccer action with the best value service in the USA.

The Developers Of Shovel Knight Return With A New Retro-styled Action Rpg

Those who have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass option will be able to play games from Nintendo’s 2001 console on the Switch 2 when it releases in June. Coming to PS5, Steam, and Xbox in the future, this game has absolutely absurd physics and skin textures, and should be immediately at the top of any horror fan’s list. “With digital distribution and engines like Unreal, today’s biggest projects emerge from outside the traditional publisher system,” Geoff says. Its listed as coming to Steam in 2026, but the website says it’s also coming to consoles as well.

Tim Cain uploaded a new video exploring the struggles of game preservation throughout his career and why companies need to take more responsibility for it. One player shared their discovery of a unique easter egg in Death Stranding 2. While taking a bath, Hideo Kojima appears as a constellation in the night sky. The father of the first Path of Exile has founded a new studio and is developing a yet unannounced RPG. Hideo Kojima, creator of the highly acclaimed Death Stranding 2, among others, talked about his dreams of space flight and commented on the challenges we face as humanity.

The tough hack n’ slash with anime stylings was quite impressive in its own way, but the sequel looks like its trying to take things to the next level in a big way. Top down visuals and survival horror elements make this look like one to watch. The PlayStation exclusive looks absolutely incredible, but hopefully, like the first game, it will eventually makes its way to Xbox and PC. Summer Game Fest is kicking off in earnest, showcasing the latest and greatest the industry has to offer. Drop a notification bell on the PC Gaming Show, set to go live this Sunday after the Xbox Showcase. Color me intrigued, but Xbox studio Undead Labs posted this on their Facebook page recently.

No part of this site or its content may be reproduced without the permission of the copyright holder. If you’re aiming to build or upgrade a gaming PC this year, finding the right GPU for smooth 1080p .. Silver and Blood unveils the official music video “Broken” to celebrate its OBT launch 26 June .. In the world of competitive and enthusiast-level gaming, a keyboard isn’t just a tool, it’s an extension ..

Previous leaders have left the company, which is working on Subnautica 2. According to a report by Ars Technica, the company hopes the new shooter will attract 100 million players. Captain Walker’s nightmare is about to look more hauntingly beautiful than ever. If we ever get a legit Game of Thrones RPG, Westeros is too limiting by design in terms of fantasy elements, but I have the perfect setting in mind.

Even a product lead for Xbox Family and child safety has been laid off. Approximately 9,000 employees have been laid off today at Microsoft, including within the gaming division. Everwild, which was expected to launch with Game Pass for Xbox Series X/S and PC, was a new, original title from Rare. Few details about the game were available, though development had been troubled; in 2021, the project was “restarted from scratch.” The game was officially announced in 2019 with a brief trailer. In February, during an interview with XboxEra, Spencer cited Everwild as a game release he was looking forward to. “It’s nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they’re making,” Spencer said at the time.

I recognize that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger. The success we’re seeing currently is based on tough decisions we’ve made previously.

It laid off 1,900 staff in January 2024, then made further cuts just a few months later when it closed Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks. In September 2024, Microsoft cut a further 650 staff from its gaming business. And in May this year, Microsoft cut an eye-watering 6,000 staff, or 3% of its entire workforce. Today’s round of layoffs is the fourth to hit Microsoft’s gaming business in 18 months. [newline]Gaming Debugged is an award winning gaming blog covering mainstream and indie gaming as well digging deep into the world of game design and game development. I also share gaming news and comment from across the games industry.

You don’t have to wait for a sales window to grab a gaming bargain – the best free Steam games are all available to download and play without charge. Valve is launching the first version of a new tool for Steam to measure performance in games. The first, as the company plans further improvements to the feature. One of my favorite action games of all time, which is heavily inspired by the John Wick movies, is on sale now for less than $10 on Nintendo Switch. Having Druckmann focused on making killer video games is probably the right move for Sony. According to developers who worked on the project, via VGC, Everwild has been in development in some form for over 10 years, but struggled to nail down a clear direction, even after a recent reboot.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless gaming headset is currently on sale, but I hope it’ll drop to a new record-low this Prime Day. We’ll be back on Sunday to live blog the Xbox Showcase, but until then, have a great weekend. Marvel Cosmic Invasion continues Disney’s licensing blitz of the Marvel franchise.