Just the other day, Xbox closed down beloved studios like Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks in an effort to “reprioritize,” according to Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty. As if that wasn’t bad enough, more Xbox job cuts are reportedly on the way, with the company even offering voluntary buyouts to specific staff members at subsidiary studio ZeniMax.

According to a recent report from industry insider Jason Schreier, Xbox isn’t planning to slow down their job cuts anytime soon. While the sources have chosen to remain anonymous, they say that more cuts are on the way. In fact, some of ZeniMax’s staff, including producers, QA testers, and more, have started getting voluntary severance offers from the big green parent company.

Some of the studios that were shuttered were also reportedly planning new projects right up until they were closed. Tango Gameworks was in the process of pitching a sequel to Hi-Fi Rush, and Arkane Austin was looking to create another immersive sim more in-line with Arkane’s Dishonored and Prey DNA. Both studios were reportedly looking to hire more staff for these projects as well.

Audio from a town hall meeting with members of ZeniMax reportedly revealed that Matt Booty claimed the affected studios were spread “too thin.” The closures were made in an effort to send resources to other teams to assist in projects that Xbox feels are a higher priority for their future.

Jill Braff, ZeniMax head, also commented on the closures in the same meeting, stating that she hoped that the changes would improve studios’ focus on individual projects. Apparently, managing nine studios is too difficult for Bethesda, and on a larger scale, Xbox. The closures were aimed at smoothing out the workflow and strengthening what the company believes is more important work.

Now, as always, until we have official confirmation of this, don’t take it as fact. With that being said, the fact that this is even a possibility is downright tragic. We’ve been inundated with story after story of job cuts and studio closures in the last year. If the biggest studios on the planet aren’t safe, who is? Xbox has been a staple of the video game industry since they came onto the scene, and they’re near the top in terms of total job cuts as of late. It’s deeply concerning.

If we get confirmation of more Xbox job cuts, we’ll be sure to let readers know. Make sure to stay tuned into MP1st.

[Source: Bloomberg]