Microsoft Media Operatives and Bill Epsteingate-Funded Sites Said Microsoft Lays Off 9,000, But Other Sites Say More (Including 2,300 in Redmond Alone)
We now learn that "Microsoft to cut over 9,000 jobs" [1] and the key word is "over".
If the figures are proprietary and temporarily not available, then about 2,300 Redmond staff - which typically means people on a visa (workers who work harder for lower pay) - have just been laid off (maybe it was bad reporting that puts together two prior waves of layoffs in the Washington WARN portal [2]).
Teams and products are being canceled already [3,4] and we saw some reports saying 9,100 are laid off. We might never know the real number/s (Microsoft will keep the cards close to its chest) until there are leakers or unless there are whistleblowers with hard proof. █
Related/contextual items from the news:
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Layoffs News: Microsoft to cut over 9,000 jobs as part of streamlining workforce efforts — Details here
Layoffs News: Microsoft to cut over 9,000 jobs as part of streamlining workforce efforts
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Microsoft confirms largest layoffs since 2023, more than 2,200 Seattle-area jobs cut
Microsoft is laying off approximately 9,100 employees, including 2,290 local employees based in Redmond, the tech giant confirmed Wednesday.
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Rare’s Everwild Cancelled Amid Xbox Layoffs
First reported by Jason Schreier and confirmed by Insider Gaming sources, the decision to cancel Everwild comes as Microsoft is letting go roughly 9,000 people. That includes including a number across the Xbox gaming division with Rare being just one of the studios hit by the layoffs.
As of writing, it’s unknown exactly how many people at Rare are set to lose their jobs. However, sources tell Insider Gaming that, as with a number of studios under Xbox, the changes are “significant”.
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Sources: Everwild has been cancelled as Xbox layoffs hit Rare
Rare’s long-in-development original IP, Everwild, has been cancelled, sources have told VGC.
According to people with knowledge of the project, team members were informed of the news, which comes amid significant layoffs across Microsoft and Xbox, which were formally announced on Wednesday.
Employees are likely to lose their jobs as part of broader restructuring of Seas of Thieves developer Rare, the sources said.
VGC has asked Microsoft for comment on this story and will update it when we receive a response.