Xbox Layoffs Hit Age of Empires Dev World's Edge Hard

Nearly half of World's Edge Studio was laid off and its next project canceled as part of Xbox's latest restructuring, former employees reveal.

Did you hear about the latest Xbox layoffs? They've hit Age of Empires developer World's Edge Studio especially hard, and it's not just a few cuts—it's devastating.

Last Tuesday, Xbox CCO Matt Booty announced the company's latest "reset," but World's Edge barely got a mention. However, former employees took to ResetEra and LinkedIn to share the real story. Adam Isgreen, former creative director at World's Edge, posted on ResetEra under his verified handle Tempus Chaoti: "FYI World's Edge was not spared completely—just under half the studio was let go—myself included. Been fun, y'all!" That's right: nearly half the studio is gone.

On top of that, the studio now answers to Activision, alongside Sea of Thieves developer Rare. And if that wasn't enough, Andrew Martz, former senior software engineer at World's Edge, added on LinkedIn that "as part of that reorg, our next project was canceled and a large chunk of our studio was laid off. I was part of that layoff." So not only are people losing their jobs, but the studio's next game is dead in the water.

Isgreen also reflected on his time with the RTS series on LinkedIn: "I didn't think I'd be working on RTS games again years after their first 'heyday,' but am I ever proud of what our studio team and partners were able to do with the series and juice the genre's return. I think the fans would agree (mostly!) that we delivered the goods for all of 'em." It's a bittersweet farewell from someone who helped bring Age of Empires back to life.

While layoffs are always heartbreaking for those affected, this latest round from Xbox feels especially baffling. Microsoft's history of destruction goes way beyond gaming, but it's still alarming how little regard the company shows for the medium's history in this "reset." The situation with World's Edge echoes how the company treated id Software and countless other teams earlier this year.

It's a tough time for Age of Empires fans and the talented people who worked on the series. Our thoughts go out to everyone impacted. What do you think about Xbox's latest moves? Let us know in the comments.