Microsoft has terminated hundreds of staff across various departments in the company.
According to Insider, less than 1000 staff were terminated across various departments including Xbox, Microsoft Strategic Missions and Technology, and the office of the Chief Technology Officer.
Studio Alpha, which is a Microsoft “gaming initiative” that focused on war gaming simulations, is reportedly also at risk.
The staff working in Microsoft’s Mission Engineering team might also be affected as an email was sent by the chief to the staff saying that they would be “deprioritizing work that is already underway.”
One affected party is Microsoft veteran KC Lemson, who went on Twitter to break the news. You can see her tweet below.
A Microsoft spokesperson spoke to Insider and said, “Like all companies, we evaluate our business priorities on a regular basis, and make structural adjustments accordingly. We will continue to invest in our business and hire in key growth areas in the year ahead.”
Microsoft had previously announced in July that it would lay off 1% of its workforce. With the company supporting about 180,000 staff, that’s 1,800 jobs that would be lost.
Whether this recent wave of layoffs is related to this statement is not yet known.
The timing of these layoffs is also quite conspicuous. Microsoft is under a great deal of scrutiny following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard in one of the largest corporate mergers in history.
Additionally, it is also dealing with the allegations of sexual harassment and workplace abuse that came with Activision Blizzard upon acquisition. You can read about our coverage here.
Whatever the case may be, we wish the staff who lost their jobs the best in all future endeavors.
Emmen Gaming 