Xbox, Bethesda Employees Included in Significant Microsoft Layoffs

Microsoft is undergoing significant layoffs which include employees at Xbox and Bethesda. Microsoft is one of the biggest tech giants in the world, but due to economic conditions, the entire tech sector has been getting hit hard with all kinds of unfortunate changes. There have been hiring freezes, layoffs, and more. Microsoft recently announced it would be giving unlimited PTO to its employees, but is also undergoing big layoffs now. This also comes almost exactly a year after Microsoft announced its intent to purchase Activision for nearly $70 billion. The deal is being heavily scrutinized and has the potential to be blocked following an FTC antitrust lawsuit. 

So, needless to say, there’s a lot of stuff going on at Microsoft. As reported by Bloomberg, Microsoft is undergoing significant layoffs and a couple of key Xbox teams were not overlooked. Bethesda Game Studios, the team behind Starfield, was part of the layoffs and 343 Industries, the team behind Halo, was reportedly “hit hard”. Though no specific numbers for these teams were given, Microsoft is cutting 10,000 jobs in an effort to reduce costs. Bloomberg reports that Xbox veterans who have been under the platform holder’s umbrella for over a decade have been laid off. As of right now, it’s not exactly clear how these studios will be impacted. Starfield is expected to release in the first half of 2023, but recent rumors have suggested it could get pushed back to the second half of the year. 343 Industries has been heavily criticized for the way it has supported Halo Infinite, but it’s unknown if they’re working on a new Halo game or some other project at the moment.

Either way, Microsoft is expected to have a big year ahead at the moment. Xbox is hosting an event that will talk more about games like Redfall and Forza Motorsport soon, with a separate Starfield event planned for a later date. The platform holder didn’t have any major first-party releases in 2022, but 2023 is expected to pack more of a punch so long as nothing gets delayed out of this year.