Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, shared a letter to employees this morning that confirmed the Windows maker was planning to lay off as many as 10,000 workers. While the executive declined to specify what divisions would be impacted, Bloomberg seems to have some of the specifics, having shared a follow-up report this afternoon that claims the layoffs extend to 343 Industries and Bethesda Game Studios—the developers behind the Halo series and Starfield, respectively. Veteran employees who have been with Xbox for over a decade are reportedly affected.
From a Bloomberg report:
The Xbox-maker said Wednesday it’s cutting 10,000 jobs as it seeks to reduce costs amid a broader economic slowdown. Some people at Bethesda Game Studios, maker of the upcoming Starfield, as well as 343 Industries, the company behind 2021’s Halo Infinite, were affected, according to people familiar with the matter. Some of those who lost their jobs were veterans who had been with Xbox for more than a decade, said the people, who asked not to be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
The scale of the cuts in the gaming division wasn’t completely clear. Microsoft said it still plans to hire people in strategic, competitive areas, such as artificial intelligence, but many other departments were losing staff, including its HoloLens goggles business and some engineering divisions, Bloomberg reported.
Rumors from earlier this week have suggested that Starfield is going to be delayed again, possibly to the second half of 2023. The game was originally supposed to be released in November 2021. As for the Halo series, 343 Industries continues to deliver new content for Halo Infinite, such as the newly launched Joint Fire Event, which lasts until January 31 and grants players the ability to earn Halo: Reach-themed rewards.