Microsoft made headlines with the layoffs of over 1,900 employees from its gaming business. The downsizing has affected workers in different areas, including development teams who now find themselves in uncertainty. While executives discuss this decision, developers raise their voices.
This is what Matt Booty said about the layoffs at Microsoft Gaming
Amid the wave of layoffs at Microsoft Gaming, Matt Booty, head of Microsoft Studios, mentioned that, although it's a tough decision, it was necessary to ensure ongoing projects: "This is a tough process, but one that will allow Blizzard and Xbox to deliver ambitious games for our players on more platforms and in more places than ever." The statement was seen as mere corporate diplomacy by the community, who lament the layoffs just hours after it was confirmed that Microsoft is now a trillion-dollar company.
Matt Booty on the Activision Blizzard and Xbox layoffs: "This is a difficult process, but it is one that will best enable Blizzard and Xbox to deliver ambitious games for our players on more platforms and in more places than ever before." https://t.co/Yh9aRtaPdh pic.twitter.com/jgDf5wbJ1b
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) January 25, 2024
Call of Duty Developer lashes out against the executive
However, the criticism is not only coming from the community; creatives affected by this situation are also making headlines. For example, Nina Marotta, who until yesterday was a level designer at High Moon Studios working on Call of Duty and was notified of her layoff early today.
The creative warned that firing workers involved in development processes will have a cost that will be paid with less content for users: "So how does this improve things for players? My level NOW has NO ONE working on it. Activision will have to cut more single-player content because of YOUR decisions."
In related news, it was revealed that Microsoft closed departments related to the distribution of physical Xbox games, fueling rumors about the brand's possible transition to a purely digital gaming environment. Also, information was shared about the cancellation of Odyssey, Blizzard's ambitious survival game.
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