A third of acquired game studios have closed since 2000, and Arkane Lyon could be next
French game developer union accuses Microsoft of sabotaging Arkane
Squarespace cuts 19% of jobs, CEO admits the technology behind its business has changed enormously
AI wasn't mentioned as a reason, but it's difficult to ignore the elephant in the room
Gears of War: E-Day's half-billion-dollar budget was no rumor
It's now the clearest example of runaway AAA costs
Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees, a quarter of the company
AI helped push company-wide spending to $50 billion this quarter
Comcast lost 144,000 broadband customers last quarter, is planning layoffs so AI agents can take over customer service
Broadband losses show what happens when fiber and wireless undercut cable
EA closes legendary RPG studio BioWare following its $55 billion buyout
Mass Effect 5 canceled as EA focuses on new shooters, sports games, and The Sims
Ripple effect: BioWare fans have repeatedly feared for the studio's future ever since EA acquired the company nearly 20 years ago, and those fears intensified after last year's announcement of a Saudi-led leveraged buyout. Although BioWare hadn't released a hit title in 12 years, its early successes helped define the RPG genre, and fans likely still held high hopes for the next Mass Effect entry.
Netflix slashes 1,000 jobs in largest workforce reduction in four years
Netflix is struggling with consumer engagement, axes 6% of its workforce
Microsoft gutted the Age of Empires studio while folding it into Activision
Former employees say the studio's next project was canceled during the transition
Xbox lays off 268 more people as Activision takes over Halo and Bethesda absorbs Obsidian
In a nutshell: The next round of Microsoft's previously announced layoffs includes major studio consolidations and possibly more closures. The Halo franchise just got its biggest shakeup in years as the Xbox manufacturer seeks to cut costs and the number of moving parts. Meanwhile, the fates of Ninja Theory and Arkane Lyon hang in the balance.
Uber CEO says laying off 3,300 workers will help lower prices for customers
Uber says customers will benefit, though similar corporate promises have fallen flat before
Intel's CPUs could get 10% more expensive next month
Intel could cut another 5% to 10% of staff as CEO Lip-Bu Tan continues restructuring push
Zuckerberg's bold plan to replace Meta employees with AI has imploded
Meta explored 60% team cuts in two waves before staff revolt forced a retreat
A hot potato: Meta set out to reorganize much of its workforce around AI at the beginning of this year, betting that agents could help the company move faster while reducing the need for larger teams. The company went ahead with 10% workforce cuts in May but ultimately dropped plans for a broader round of layoffs after its AI workplace "overhaul" ran into employee resistance and technical problems.
Better founder who fired 900 employees over Zoom is now fighting to get his own job back
Garg says Better's board pushed him out just as profitability was in view
EA is now owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund after $55 billion deal
What just happened? Video game giant Electronic Arts is now officially owned by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF). The group is also made up of investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the latter founded by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Tencent pulls the plug on GTA rival Last Sentinel after spending $300 million over six years
The LA studio working on the game lays off 80 employees
This $10 bundle of 100+ DRM-free games means to support laid-off game developers
The collection includes titles like A Short Hike, Eldritch, and Holedown, with more being added through August 13
Why it matters: The video game industry has seen a historic wave of layoffs in recent years, with thousands of workers impacted in the last few weeks alone. To support some of the developers affected, indie game storefront itch.io is collaborating with an industry union to sell a collection of over 100 heavily discounted games.
Samsung cuts hundreds of US jobs while AI boom sends chip profits soaring
The company is relocating its US consumer electronics headquarters from New Jersey to Texas
Over 4,500 Google workers demand layoff protections as Alphabet's value hits $4.3 trillion
"Make no mistake: this is a company that is enjoying massive, unprecedented success"
A Doom developer says Microsoft "destroyed an immense amount of value" at id Software
John Carmack is losing faith in Microsoft's stewardship
Black Flag Resynced is a smash hit, but 51 Ubisoft Barcelona developers are still being laid off
Ubisoft even canceled the studio's launch event as workers prepared to strike over the cuts
The studio behind MindsEye is flying fans in for playtests, all while laid-off workers protested outside
Another chapter in one of gaming's messiest studio meltdowns
New York hospital replaces 12 nurses with AI, prompting warnings over patient care dangers
The layoffs come only months after nurses went on strike and won protections against AI
Federal Reserve taps Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to lead jobs task force days after Microsoft laid off 3,200 people
The task force will examine AI's impact on productivity, employment, and economic growth
