Microsoft Reduces Age of Empires Studio Workforce Before Transitioning to Activision, Nearly 50% Affected

This week, World's Edge, the studio responsible for the Age of Empires franchise, has experienced substantial layoffs, with nearly half of its workforce let go as part of Microsoft's latest job reduction initiative. These layoffs are part of a larger effort, with 268 employees across the Xbox division being affected, contributing to a broader target of 3,200 job losses anticipated for the current financial year. On Monday, it was revealed that World's Edge would be integrated into Activision, although the specifics regarding the impact on the studio's staff were initially unclear. However, employees have since taken to social media to report that approximately 50% of the workforce is now unemployed, alongside the cancellation of their upcoming project. Adam Isgreen, who previously served as the creative director for the studio and had been with World's Edge for 16 years, expressed his disappointment regarding the conclusion of his time with the company. "I am of course disappointed that this is the way the time with World's Edge and Age ends for myself and many of my talented teammates that were also impacted — we had some great plans for what's next," he stated. He also conveyed hope for the remaining team to succeed in future endeavors. Andrew Martz, a former senior software engineer at the studio, shared insights on the organizational changes, noting, "Our studio was reorganized to be under the Activision umbrella. As part of that reorg, our next project was cancelled and a large chunk of our studio was laid off. I was part of that layoff." Former lead principal software engineer Greg Snook also commented on the unexpected nature of the layoffs, stating, "'It was nice working with you' was not a message I expected to get while on vacation. Like many others, I was cut loose from Microsoft today. Turns out my last day with building access is also my exact 25-year hire anniversary." The future of World's Edge, along with the Age of Empires franchise, remains uncertain under Activision's leadership. While the studio has been pivotal in overseeing the development of the real-time strategy series, it has relied on collaborations with external developers, such as Relic Entertainment, which primarily developed Age of Empires IV. This title, launched in 2021 for PC, has since been adapted for Xbox and PlayStation consoles. As for the possibility of Age of Empires 5, it seems likely, though it remains to be seen if the remaining staff will be allocated to this project or potentially redirected to other ventures, such as a strategy game within the Halo franchise, now that Activision is managing Xbox's prominent shooter brand. In the meantime, the Viking Sagas DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition was released on Tuesday, introducing three new civilizations, 15 single-player campaign scenarios, and additional content.