Game news 'I'm absolutely terrified for the future of my career', uncertainty reigns among developers after Microsoft layoffs
Advertisement
While Microsoft is letting go of 1,900 employees within its – gigantic – video game division, the ex-employees concerned are speaking out on social networks… The reality of things is hard to see.
Advertisement
If we already deplored widespread layoffs last year, 2024 promises to be just as worrying for the video game industry. In the space of a few days, companies like Riot Games (League of Legends, Valorant) or even Unity – behind the famous eponymous game engine – have pushed hundreds of developers towards the release. According to analysts, companies in the sector are paying for the all-out investments of the pandemic, where the JV audience has exploded… But at the moment, another case sends shivers down the spine. That of Microsoft, which said goodbye to 1,900 employees across Xbox, Bethesda – and Activision-Blizzard. Out of 22,000 people in total, this represents 8%.
“I’m absolutely terrified”
On the web, developers are starting to speak out. “I was fired from Activision Blizzard after 13 years of employment”tells for example Megan EmbreeAgain game producer a few days ago. For his part, Mike, in charge of quality assurance for Call of Duty at Sledgammer Games, writes that he lost “practically his entire team”. “I’m at a loss for words right now,” he says. Obviously, Activision-Blizzard is the most impacted. The publisher joined Microsoft 3 months ago. The firm's ambitious survival game, supposed to lay the foundations of a new universe, was even canceled.
After years of applying, I finally secured a job at Blizzard. I move to California and am welcomed with an incredible team. I couldn't be more excited to start developing tools and courses to help QA.
Four months into the job, I'm laid off.
What the hell, Microsoft?
— Cole McElwain (@Bowl_of_Cole) January 26, 2024
After years of applying, I finally found a job at Blizzard. I'm moving to California and am welcomed by an incredible team. I couldn't be more excited to start developing tools and courses to help QA. After four months of work, I was fired. What's going on, Microsoft?
Even more, the painful cleaning of Microsoft, decided to promote the “growth” of the company, has given rise to a climate of fear throughout the entire industry: “I'll be honest, I'm absolutely terrified for the future of my career” says, for example, a marketing manager on X (Twitter). “When you work in this industry and you see all these layoffs, every announcement provokes two thoughts: what a devastating loss of talent, and am I next in line,” it reads… Someone Another even notes that the simple fact of having the wrong password and seeing the words “unable to connect” can be frightening. “This is no way to live.”