Report: More Layoffs Inbound For XBOX Reset, Compulsion Games In Crosshairs For Complete Closure

Big shifts are underway for XBOX. The brand following its XBOX Games Showcase has mapped some prospects for the platform. For one, console exclusives are back. According to new leadership, the platform wants a boutique selection for players to find reasoning in investing towards XBOX. Additionally, the firm has also pressed on in-game ads: “interrupting the gameplay experience would be bad,” said CSO Matthew Ball.

Additionally, Microsoft is reported to be shopping ideas for the new approach it will enact for XBOX. One is creating its own venture similar to GitHub & LinkedIn so the platform can stand on its own. This would also accelerate development for IPs like Halo & Fallout. Around the same time, Asha Sharma & Matt Booty released a new ‘Next 100 Days’ memo that signifies a reset to deliver a “Stronger XBOX”. 

Hardships are to come with tough decisions to be made to propel XBOX to success, Sharma has explained in the memo. According to Bloomberg recently, it is understood that a new wave of layoffs are due for Microsoft’s gaming venture. While it is not given to how great the number of individuals affected, Giant Bomb via The Verge has indicated another 1,000 layoffs is being considered internally.

Alongside more employees on the way to finding new work, there is another report of a studio closure as well. Kotaku reports that Compulsion Games is being targeted for a full shuttering very soon. Sources later updated the outlet that there are negotiations within Microsoft to discuss the fate of the studio. This would be a similar situation to 2024’s mass XBOX layoff with Tango Gameworks closing its doors then.

Compulsion Games’ recent release, South of Midnight, was a Peabody-Award recipient. The game at Rectify Gaming was ranked a 9.5/10. “It’s weird in all the right ways, ambitious in its themes, and stunning in execution. Hazel’s journey is one I’ll remember not just for the battles she fought, but for the songs she heard, the wounds she healed, and the stories she carried with her. This is Compulsion Games’ best work to date, and one of the most distinctive action-adventure games of the year.” You can read the full review by heading here.

Are you surprised with the turn of events for XBOX’s internal studios?

Source: Bloomberg, Kotaku