Massive Xbox-Entlassungen: 9K Mitarbeiter entlassen, mehrere Spieleprojekte gestrichen

Xbox Wipes Out Dozens of Studios and Cancels Major Games in Massive Layoff Wave

Microsoft Gaming has unleashed a sweeping wave of layoffs affecting around 9,000 employees (approximately 4% of its global workforce), with severe repercussions across Xbox and its first-party studios.

The Human Cost and Strategic Shift

Phil Spencer, Xbox’s CEO, stated the layoffs are part of a broader move to streamline operations and focus on strategic areas for long-term success. Support for affected employees includes severance packages, extended healthcare coverage, and internal job assistance. Of the thousands laid off, a significant portion belonged to the Microsoft Gaming division, affecting teams at Turn 10, Undead Labs, Rare, Compulsion Games, and ZeniMax Online.

Studio Closures & Game Cancellations

• Turn 10 Studios, developers of Forza Motorsport, lost nearly half its workforce. While not officially shut down, a former staff member claimed that the Motorsport team has been shuttered, with remaining developers reassigned to support Forza Horizon and ForzaTech engine maintenance.
• The Initiative, the team behind the Perfekt dunkel reboot, has been dissolved. The long-awaited reboot is no longer in active development.
• Rare’s Everwild, another long-gestating project, has reportedly been cancelled during this restructuring.
• ZeniMax Online Studios is undergoing restructuring, with several roles cut and future projects—including a major MMO codenamed Project Blackbird—scrapped.

What This Means for Players

• Forza Motorsport players may see reduced support and slow content delivery, with the core team redirected elsewhere.
• Perfekt dunkel und Everwild fans face disappointment, as both titles have been shelved.
• Microsoft confirmed that over 40 game projects are still in development. Key franchises like Halo, Forza Horizon, and others will remain in focus.
• The Xbox Game Studios brand continues to evolve, with its strategy now leaning toward fewer, larger, and more cross-platform releases.

Final Take

This marks one of the most dramatic reshuffles in Xbox history. While Microsoft says it’s optimizing for the future, the creative cost is evident. Studios that once symbolized innovation are gone. What remains is a clear signal: Xbox is doubling down on scalable franchises and strategic focus over experimental projects. Whether that pays off—or costs them their edge—remains to be seen.