Microsoft Lays Off 650 Additional Staff Members Following its Activision Acquisition

It’s being reported that after cutting 1,900 jobs this year as a result of its $68.7 billion USD (around $93.3 billion CAD) acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is slashing another 650 roles.

Via an internal memo seen by The Verge, Xbox head Phil Spencer announced the most recent layoffs to staff this morning. The cuts are said to be a direct reaction to the Activision Blizzard acquisition. In the memo, Spencer confirms that “no games, devices or experiences are being cancelled” as a result of the new round of layoffs. Additionally, no studios are being closed either.

“As part of aligning our post-acquisition team structure and managing our business, we have made the decision to eliminate approximately 650 roles across Microsoft Gaming — mostly corporate and supporting functions — to organize our business for long term success,” says Spencer in the memo.

Earlier this year, Microsoft laid off a substantial number of its staff in an effort to restructure itself following the Activision Blizzard deal. 1,900 staff were laid off as Activision Blizzard joined the Xbox umbrella. Multiple studios within the ZeniMax and Bethesda gaming arm have also been affected by layoffs this year. Redfall developer Arkane Austin was shuttered. Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games and Roundhouse Games were all affected as well.

This second wave of layoffs at Activision Blizzard comes months before the big push to launch Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. After the recent open beta of the game became the biggest in Call of Duty history, the game is primed to launch across consoles as well as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. All eyes will be on this launch to see if the game can move the needle and attract more subscribers to the service.