Amid ongoing layoff chaos at Xbox, now-former Halo Studios cinematic director Josh Daniels says he was promoted and then immediately lost his job.
“Promoted and laid off in the same week is pretty wild,” Daniels says in a LinkedIn post. “I’m one of the many hit by the Halo Studios layoffs. I’ll be taking some offline time today but very much would love to talk to anyone looking for Cinematic Direction or Production roles. Feel free to get in touch if anything looks like I might be a fit.”
Earlier today, Microsoft announced the elimination of another 268 employees under Xbox, with Halo Studios seemingly hit especially hard. The Halo IP is now in the hands of Activision. Meanwhile, studios like Ninja Theory and Arkane are looking at closures, while Obsidian has been absorbed by Bethesda, Playground and Turn 10 have been combined, and Undead Labs is spinning out. Xbox’s studio lineup is unrecognizable compared to even nine months ago.
The breadth of the layoffs is still coming into focus, with members of multiple teams including Gears of War: E-Day developer The Coalition reporting cuts.
In a statement, Xbox CCO Matt Booty said these layoffs have brought Xbox “roughly three-quarters of the way through” the restructuring plan previously announced by new CEO Asha Sharma, which will see 3,200 employees cut in total. This has forced countless Xbox employees and studios to work with an axe looming over them the entire year, uncertain of who will be laid off next or when.
Even as Xbox rushes to get games out and reportedly puts Bethesda’s feet to the fire over Fallout and The Elder Scrolls production timelines, Microsoft leadership has overseen layoffs that cut veteran talents including many Fallout and The Elder Scrolls seniors. Nobody anywhere seems safe.