Opinion: Welcome to the house of pain, brought to you by Xbox
in newsletterGame Developer · 6 min read · culture
Opinion piece critiques Xbox's five rounds of mass layoffs since the 2023 Activision Blizzard merger, noting Microsoft spent $70 billion on acquisitions while admitting uncertainty about ROI. The article traces layoffs from January 2024 through recent cuts and studio closures including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks.
Mentioned entities
Activision BlizzardAlpha Dog GamesArkane AustinAsha SharmaBlizzardCall of DutyCandy CrushCompulsion GamesDouble FineGame PassHiFi RushKraftonMicrosoftNinja TheoryObsidianPhil SpencerSenuaState of Decay 3Tango GameworksThe Elder ScrollsUndead LabsXboxZenimax
Appeared in 2026-07-09.