‘Microsoft round of layoffs also affects game developers Bethesda and 343 Industries’

Microsoft recently confirmed a significant round of layoffs that will see the company cut 10,000 jobs and, according to information from Bloomberg, game developers are not spared. People should leave Bethesda and that includes Halo Infinite studio 343 Industries.

It concerns an undisclosed number at Bethesda Game Studios and at 343 Industries, according to Bloomberg sources who would be familiar with the plans. In some cases, jobs would also be cut for veterans who had been part of an Xbox game studio for more than a decade. A studio like The Coalition, known for the Gears of War games, will also be faced with the layoffs, reports IGN.

Bloomberg author Jason Schreier writes that 343 Industries sent an email to its own staff talking about “making the difficult decision to restructure certain elements in the team.” There will still be support for Halo Infinite’s multiplayer.

As a direct result of this restructuring, Joseph Staten will be transferred and become part of Xbox’s wider publishing division. Staten is a Halo veteran who started his career at Bungie in 1998 and joined 343 Industries in 2020 to work on Halo Infinite. What exactly his new role will be and how his departure will affect 343 Industries is not clear.

Microsoft recently announced that it is cutting 10,000 jobs, which the company says amounts to less than 5 percent of the total workforce. This round of layoffs must be completed before March 31. This comes on top of previous rounds of layoffs. For example, in October last year ‘fewer than 1000 people were laid off and in July the curtain fell on 1800 people. The economic headwind is cited as a reason for the current round of layoffs; Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently said in an interview that the tech sector is facing “tough two years”.