After the end of Arkane and Tango: Ex-Blizzard boss Phil defends Spencer's decision

After the end of Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks and other Bethesda studios, Xbox boss Phil Spencer is receiving support from former Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra.

“I know it hurts him as much as everyone else,” he writes on X.

Difficult situation

“I'm seeing a lot of criticism directed at Phil regarding today's announcements from Xbox. I understand that. But I know him as a person and I know he's hurting as much as anyone else.”

“I can't speak for everyone in leadership here, but I know him and I know what he's probably going through right now.”

“I’m not trying to defend the decisions,” he continues. “I think we all find ourselves in situations that are difficult and unexpected (at least that's how it was for me). That's part of the job, as is responsibility for what comes out of it. But he's a good person and cares a lot for the creative processes and the developers. That's my first-hand experience, because I worked closely with him for more than eight years and have known him for more than 24 years.”

I see a lot of shots at Phil over today's Xbox announcements. I get it. But knowing him as a human, I know this hurts him as much as anyone else. I can't speak for all of the leadership there, but I do know him and I do know what he is likely going through.
I'm not trying to…
— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) May 7, 2024

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“I 100 percent understand the anger and confusion. And I'm truly sorry for all the teams that were affected today and over the past few months. I didn't agree with every decision he made at Xbox, which I think was the case “It was pretty clear, but I believe in his leadership and I know how difficult these decisions can be.”

“Xbox could have a bright future,” emphasizes Ybarra. “I hope they can make this happen and that all the teams have an incredible experience together. It's a difficult time and you have to have a clear plan for the future in order to inspire players around the world.”

Under Phil Spencer's leadership, more than 1,900 employees have already been laid off at Xbox, ZeniMax and Activision Blizzard. As a result, Ybarra himself also resigned from his position as Blizzard President.

Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, described the move as a “re-prioritization of titles and resources” in an internal email yesterday. Spencer himself has not yet commented publicly.