Microsoft Lays Off 3%, Impacting Thousands

Microsoft has confirmed job cuts affecting 3% of its global workforce.

CNBC reported that Microsoft employed 228,000 people as of June 2024 and is streamlining its management structure across all divisions. These changes impact roughly 6,000 employees.

"We are making necessary organizational changes to ensure the company remains agile and successful in a competitive market," a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC in a statement.

IGN has contacted Microsoft to inquire whether these layoffs affect its video game division.

This follows Microsoft's September 2024 reduction of 650 more positions in its gaming unit, after it laid off 1,900 employees earlier in the year. Those prior cuts led to the closure of Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. In total, Microsoft has eliminated 2,550 gaming jobs since its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023.

In a June 2024 interview with IGN, Xbox head Phil Spencer stated, "I must operate a sustainable and growing business within the company. That sometimes requires making difficult decisions—choices I don't enjoy, but that need to be made."

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