Xbox Just Fired the ID@Xbox Team Who Saved Us From Boring AAA Games
Another masterclass in corporate self-sabotage from our favorite tech giant. Because who needs unique, award-winning passion projects when you can have another generic live-service shooter that dies in three weeks? Let's look at how they are 'optimizing' their soul away.
The specialized ID@Xbox program, which has been the main bridge between indie developers and the console ecosystem since 2013, was hit by sudden layoffs. This is the very division that helped shepherd massive cultural phenomena like Hollow Knight, Cuphead, Stardew Valley, and Vampire Survivors onto our screens.
A veteran member of the team publicly confirmed being let go on June 24, sparking immediate panic on the ResetEra forums. Industry insiders are already warning that cutting these key people will severely damage the indie ecosystem on both Xbox and Windows, proving once again that corporate Excel spreadsheets have zero room for artistic taste.
Meanwhile, developers at Compulsion Games, the studio currently working on the highly anticipated South of Midnight, have started mass-updating their LinkedIn profiles to look for new jobs. The studio's narrative designer, lead game designer, and key artists are all actively seeking an exit, while the studio management is reportedly in desperate talks with Microsoft to buy back their independence and escape the corporate mothership.
This mass exodus follows the shocking shutdown of Ninja Theory, the British studio behind the critically acclaimed Hellblade series. The entire bloodbath is orchestrated by Xbox corporate vice president Asha Sharma and head of content Matt Booty, who are executing a global "business reboot" after reporting that their gaming margins plummeted to a hilarious 3% profitability.
Watching a trillion-dollar company burn down its most loyal creative partners to save a few pennies on a spreadsheet is the ultimate corporate comedy. Suppressing the very people who make gaming interesting just to feed the infinite growth beast is definitely going to work out great for their long-term brand value.
Source: ResetEra
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