Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMicrosoft on Thursday said that it is cutting 650 roles at its Xbox gaming division, in the latest major round of layoffs to hit the video game industry.
It marks the third series of redundancies in Microsoft's video game unit since the company's blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the publisher behind the Call of Duty franchise, for $69 billion in cash.
In a memo obtained by CNBC, Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, told employees that the firm had taken this "difficult" decision to align its post-acquisition team structure and "organize our business for long term success."
Bethesda publishes major gaming titles, such as the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series.
Major gaming studios have cut thousands of jobs around the world, beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2024.
Persons:
Phil Spencer, Patrick T, Spencer, Japan's, Playtika
Organizations:
Microsoft, Fallon, Bloomberg, Getty, Activision Blizzard, Duty, CNBC, Microsoft Gaming, Xbox, Activision, ZeniMax Media, Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda, Japan's Sony, PlayStation, Gaming
Locations:
Los Angeles, U.S