It is a sad week in gaming after the announcement of mass layoffs at Microsoft, with many Xbox studios biting the dust and multiple projects either being shelved or cancelled. It seems that not even the bigger studios are safe, as reports say that even those at Raven Studios have been let go. Even Perfect Dark has been cancelled following the layoffs. It doesn’t stop there, as several developers from Halo Studios have shared that they were let go from the company. This comes after reports of tensions piling up at the studio.
Halo Studios Developers Laid Off
Jason Schreier was busy relaying information to the public via Blue Sky as the layoffs were announced. One of his posts reads, “Many of Xbox’s subsidiaries are getting hit by the layoffs this morning, including Call of Duty studios such as Rave. Big cuts at Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 – nearly 50% of staff, per source.” To this, one user by the name of megatrondeathray replied, “I was let go from Halo Studios. Sucks.”
Another employee who was laid off is Justin Cagle, who shared the news on his LinkedIn page. “Today is my last day at Xbox and Halo Studios. Working on the Halo franchise has been a dream come true – both as a fan and as someone who’s passionate about building great experiences.” Another employee who was let go is C.J. Ramos, one of the design artists at Halo Studios.
“I’m personally super pissed that Phil’s email to us bragged about how this was the most profitable year ever for Xbox in the same breath as pulling the level,” one employee affected by the layoffs told Engadget.
As part of the statements made to Engadget, the employee said, “Xbox in general feels years behind the curve in game development, and it leads to a lot of wasted time and effort.” Xbox Studios has reportedly been shifting towards a more agile approach to speed up production times.
The layoffs affected upwards of 9,000 employees at Microsoft. This includes over 800 employees out in Washington, where Halo Studios is located.
