Based
on
an
internal
memo
from

Xbox
chief
Phil
Spencer,
Microsoft
has
seemingly
laying
off
650
staff
from
across
Xbox.
Those
affected
are
mostly
in
the
corporate
and
support
functions.

The
news
comes
by
way
of
IGN
who
state
they
have
acquired
an
internal
memo
sent
by
Phil
Spencer
himself.
If
true,
it
will
mean

Microsoft
has
cut
a
total
of
2,550
jobs
across
its
gaming
workforce
this
year.
Those
cuts
resulted
in
the

closure
of
several
studios,
including
that
of
Tango
Gameworks,
although
that
studios
has
thankfully

found
a
new
lease
on
life
through
Krafton.

There
is
at
least
a
tiny
sliver
of
good
news;
according
to
the
memo,
no
studios
have
been
closed
nor
any
games
canceled.
Phil
says
the
jobs
have
been
cut
to
“organize
our
business
for
long
term
success.”

 “As
part
of
aligning
our
post-acquisition
team
structure
and
managing
our
business,
we
have
made
the
decision
to
eliminate
approximately
650
roles
across
Microsoft
Gaming
—
mostly
corporate
and
supporting
functions
—
to
organize
our
business
for
long
term
success.”
said
the
internal
memo.

Interestingly,
Phil
Spencer
refers
to
“Microsoft
Gaming”
rather
than
Xbox.
While
I
could
be
reading
too
much
into
this,
the
wording
suggests
what
we’ve
all
been
thinking:
Xbox
is
no
longer
allowed
to
do
its
own
thing
under
the
stewardship
of
Phil
now
that
Activision-Blizzard
are
part
of
Microsoft.
Since
the
Activision-Blizzard
deal
was
completed,
it
has
begun
increasingly
clear
that
Microsoft
wants
to
be
directly
involved
in
everything
happening
at
Xbox.

As
always,
it’s
difficult
to
determine
exactly
what
has
driven
the
need
for
these
cuts.
It
could
be
as
simple
as
decreasing
costs
to
generate
even
more
money,
or
it
could
be
another
sign
that
Microsoft
is
shifting
away
from
the
console
manufacturing
business
and
into
the
role
of
the
world’s
biggest
publisher
of
games.
It
could
also
be
the
advancement
of
various
AI
technologies
making
more
and
more
roles
redundant.
It
could
be
all
of
these
things
or
none
of
these
things.

What
do
know
for
a
fact
is
that
it
sucks.
650
people
now
have
to
go
through
the
stress
and
worry
of
losing
their
jobs,
and
I
wish
them
all
the
best
in
finding
new
positions
where
they
can
hopefully
thrive
and
prosper.