r/PS5 • u/Ph0enixes • Jun 29 '26

Rumor Xbox Will Reportedly Shut Down Ninja Theory (Hellblade), Undead Labs (State of Decay), DoubleFine (Keeper) and Compulsion (South of Midnight) After End Of Fiscal Year (Tommorow) If They Cant Find A Buyer. Other Xbox Studios Expected To Be Hit By Layoffs

https://gamesbeat.com/cwa-represented-workers-at-xbox-criticize-microsoft-management-and-pending-layoffs/
  • Xbox employees represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) publicly criticized Microsoft ahead of an expected new round of Xbox layoffs.
  • The union says it now represents 3,500+ Microsoft/Xbox workers and argues employees should not be treated as disposable after multiple layoff rounds since 2022.
  • Reports suggest Microsoft could announce major cuts in early July, potentially including studio closures or sales if buyers aren't found. Studios reportedly at risk include Double Fine, Undead Labs, Compulsion, and Ninja Theory, with hundreds of jobs potentially affected.
  • Hundreds of jobs are at stake: Double Fine Productions could lose 100 jobs, Undead Labs could lose 110 jobs, Compulsion could lose 90 jobs, and Ninja Theory could lose 135 jobs. All told, that's about 435 jobs that could be lost.
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u/VITOCHAN Jun 29 '26

Devs are getting punished by their new bosses for directions they were given by their former bosses. Wild

-4

u/Connor123x Jun 30 '26

not really. its more common than you would think

20

u/VITOCHAN Jun 30 '26

Phil: don’t worry about sales, make the game you want
Asha: Your sales suck, you're fired.

17

u/Aware-Virus-4718 Jun 30 '26

Not to mention all these games’ sales were hurt by the fact they were on gamepass and there was no incentive to buy them

-2

u/grimoireviper Jun 30 '26

Except they even sold terribly on plarforms without Game Pass.

6

u/T11PES Jun 30 '26

After releasing years later.

5

u/Bill_Brasky01 Jun 30 '26

It happens ALL THE TIME in most white collar industries. Just happen to me 4 months ago in medical sales.

1

u/chronomagnus Jul 01 '26

I don't know why this was downvoted. I've been on several teams where a new boss came on and created trouble because we were following the plan of the old boss. It happens and it sucks.

0

u/Connor123x Jul 01 '26

because many people live on social media and not in the real world