As readers know by now, last week Microsoft cut 10,000 people from its payroll, many of whom were part of the Xbox gaming division including devs working on Halo Infinite, Fallout 76, and The Elder Scrolls Online. Following those layoffs, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer wrote an email to existing employees of the division, which an insider shared to the public.
According to Spencer’s missive, the wave of layoffs “were painful choices” and “a challenging moment in [the company’s] business,” while also acknowledging that though the decisions made by leadership were in the interest of Microsoft’s long-term success, “[T]he individual results of those decisions are real. I know that hurts.”
Spencer further promises that leadership will be transparent, invites employees to an upcoming meeting to answer questions, and calls out the ZeniMax team specifically as one he would be in close contact with to provide support.
The words appear to have run hollow according to one unnamed Xbox employee. “This feels like something you send out on obligation,” they write. “I seriously doubt any of those monthly gaming updates or other meetings are going to do anything to make anyone feel better.”
