Xbox’s once bold vision for the future now feels uncertain as layoffs and major project cancellations shake gamers' confidence.
Phil Spencer, who originally took on leadership of the Xbox division back in 2014, apparently has no plans to retire for now.
Several game studios under Microsoft are seeing a shake-up, including Rare, where veteran designers have allegedly departed.
One employee noted that Phil Spencer's email announcing the lay-offs also bragging about Xbox profits led to them being "super pissed".
In an internal email, Xbox's Matt Booty said the layoffs and project cancellations represent "a broader effort to adjust priorities."
Raven Software and Sledgehammer Games, known for their work on the Call of Duty series, have also reportedly faced layoffs.
King and ZeniMax Media will reportedly face cuts, but the full extent of the damage to Microsoft Gaming as a whole is unknown.
Halo Studios wrote about how it rebranded from 343 Industries at HaloWC last year, and how this year it will have more to show.
According to creative director Brandon Adler, players who like stealth can build that way, while those want to blow things up also can.
This follows a post by 3D Realms' George Broussard about 1,000 to 2,000 layoffs, affecting 10 to 20 percent of the Xbox division.
While details haven't yet been revealed about the layoffs, management is expecting "substantial" cuts across various teams in Xbox.
Microsoft returns to Cologne, Germany, for the world's largest gaming trade fair, which runs from August 20th to August 24th.
Obsidian's Brandon Adler promised the role-playing game will respect players' time by offering a world that reacts to their choices.
The second weekend of the multiplayer beta will feature Execution and King of the Hill alongside additional hours for playing.
According to director Brandon Adler, the studio wanted to improve the combat even back when The Outer Worlds first shipped.
"We're a game developer. We love to make games. We don't set the prices for our games," said game director Brandon Adler.
Game director Brandon Adler also spoke about how he wanted to give The Outer Worlds 2 players more variety in its writing.
Many technical aspects of the improvements in Gears of War: Reloaded were revealed by technical director of the game, Kate Rayner.
Ultimate Edition owners, pre-orders and Game Pass subscribers can access Team Deathmatch maps and Canals in King of the Hill.
"We sort of burned the house down last year," says Microsoft VP of Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg ahead of today's Xbox Games Showcase.
