Xbox is closing down Ninja Theory, the studio behind the Hellblade series, a source tells The Verge. Staffers were told on a call on Monday about the closure, but they are hoping the studio will find a buyer.
How are they closing the one studio that is making interesting games for them?
Xbox is closing down Ninja Theory, the studio behind the Hellblade series, a source tells The Verge. Staffers were told on a call on Monday about the closure, but they are hoping the studio will find a buyer.
How are they closing the one studio that is making interesting games for them?
Well Senua 1 was cool but it was back in 2017. After that some VR crap, then a crappy multiplayer battle arena game and Senua 2 was very bad compared to first one... So the Ninja Theory of now has not created anything cool for the past like 9 years...
Best case scenario, this is to get rid of the diversity hires etc. I'm sure they do not make game development easy. Making the games they know will sell well that is.
@headshot
You're subscribed to MrCuckyPlays, right? If these massive layoff numbers are confirmed you better shoot him a PM so that he doesn't commit unalive over this
boundle (thoughts on cracking AITD) wrote:
i guess thouth if without a legit key the installation was rolling back we are all fucking then
@headshot
You're subscribed to MrCuckyPlays, right? If these massive layoff numbers are confirmed you better shoot him a PM so that he doesn't commit unalive over this
“Today, the mood is different. Xbox is looking to reallocate where it spends money. The company wants to invest in its big franchises, and to do that, it needs to cut from elsewhere. Studios such as Compulsion, Ninja Theory, Double Fine, Obsidian, Undead Labs and others are deep in negotiation with Microsoft to avoid closure. The impact of this will likely reverberate across the business.”
"That is the reality. Even if Obsidian had delivered an incredible year, even if The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed had performed five times the numbers that they did, it wouldn’t have offset the drop on Call of Duty. A game like that, and Candy Crush, and Minecraft, and Warcraft, make a lot of Xbox’s output seem almost insignificant."
Even while not being the biggest fan of nu-wokesidian, in the past two years they put out Avowed, Grounded 2, Pentiment and TOW2. They are the far from the other useless derpelopers burning millions for several years while releasing jack shit (looking at the mongoloids at Bethesda and the useless 343 creatures), so it would be deeply unfair seeing Obsidian getting axed like that
boundle (thoughts on cracking AITD) wrote:
i guess thouth if without a legit key the installation was rolling back we are all fucking then
Despite a report this morning, I can confirm that Obsidian is *not* in negotiations to avoid shutting down. Plenty of details are still up in the air surrounding the layoffs (picture will be clear on Monday) but Xbox is keeping Obsidian, according to people familiar with the situation.
Double Fine – Has been spun out to become independent, and will retain its IP
Compulsion Games – Same deal, now its own entity, will still have its IP
Ninja Theory – Currently in talks to be sold, plan is to still release Senua
Undead Labs – Currently in talks to be sold, plan is to still release State of Decay 3
Arkane – This one is up in the air and there are many stages to go through with the French government for either closure, sale or spinning off. So in this case, the fate of the upcoming Blade game is unknown.
As ZeniMax also faces cuts, Xbox seeks a "significant overhaul" to focus on Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Quake, and other big franchises
No studios are shutting down.
Following weeks of rumours and speculation, Microsoft and Xbox have announced today around 3200 jobs are being cut before financial year 2027 ends, with a number of studios being let go to find new owners or go independent. As more details pour out, we've also learned ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks are facing cuts - even if no studios are closing. Moreover, there are new plans for their key properties moving forward.
Bloomberg's Jason Schreier and Brody Ford elaborated on what's happening at Xbox, and while we're still waiting for more details and comments to come out, there's a bit of Bloomberg's report worth highlighting: "ZeniMax will face a significant overhaul and will pivot to focus on its biggest franchises: Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein." Schreier also added the studios under ZeniMax's umbrella - which includes Bethesda's whole roster - are cutting lots of staff as part of the organisation-wide layoffs.
The Elder Scrolls Online - Official 'Welcome to Seasons' TrailerWatch on YouTube
The need for more Fallout seems like a no-brainer, as Bethesda Softworks' output isn't matching the demand for new titles following two stellar seasons of the TV show. Even if rumours of a big Oblivion Remastered-style Fallout 3 refresh refuse to die, the IP is running on Fallout Shelter, a recent FO4 re-release, and 76 updates for the time being as Bethesda Game Studios' focus is on more Starfield and The Elder Scrolls.
Speaking of The Elder Scrolls, this also signals Xbox is putting even more pressure on the sixth mainline entry to deliver as ZeniMax Online's The Elder Scrolls Online shows signs of slowdown after over a decade live. Obviously, the focus on these tried-and-tested IP marks yet another blow to Starfield's long-term franchise potential, even if the developers recently said more content is coming.
Doom developer id Software is reportedly facing cuts as it's just delivered Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations, an expansion-sized DLC that launches tomorrow, 7th July. Though some recent comments suggested the studio still wants to do more with the Doom Slayer's current saga, we could be seeing a return to Quake, which has only received remasters and thin-but-consistent support for Champions in recent years via external partners. In any case, it sounds like Xbox wants more from both IPs.
Last but not least, MachineGames was reportedly working on a new Wolfenstein after Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. It could also tie into the upcoming TV show one way or another, potentially giving Bethesda the brand synergy its Fallout show has half-missed on. If we look closer at Xbox's intentions of bolstering its major IPs, however, it's hard to imagine a new Indy adventure happening since that's owned by Disney and Lucasfilm. We don't know for sure what post-reset Xbox's attitude towards 'mercenary work' is though.
Needless to say, this new direction leaves no room for smaller or established-but-hurt properties like Prey, Deathloop, or even Dishonored. It's why Arkane is reportedly looking for a new home despite being deep into Marvel's Blade's development. Expect more updates to hit in the coming days and weeks as Xbox's new strategy comes into focus.
Amazingly, the 343 industries woké adult daycare center was seemingly spared. They really are the DSP of developers
boundle (thoughts on cracking AITD) wrote:
i guess thouth if without a legit key the installation was rolling back we are all fucking then
... Numerically a drop in the bucket compared to the 1,600 laid off across the entirety of Xbox, with 1,600 more in the next 12 months, but every one of those figures is a life that's been upturned. What's more, Obsidian is a legendary RPG studio, one with four games in our 2025 Top 100 list (Pentiment, Knights of the Old Republic 2, Deadfire, and New Vegas). In recent years, the studio has gone from strength to strength with the heartbreaking Pentiment, breakout Grounded series, as well as the criminally underrated Avowed and Outer Worlds 2.
Obsidian followed Xbox's presumed previous mandate, to release a high volume of quality games to support Game Pass, to a T, pushing a pace largely unheard of in the modern industry: Five games in five years, from 2020 to 2025. Its developers have been punished in spite of that success.
With Xbox floundering and 1,600 more layoffs expected at the gaming division in the next 12 months, I've never been less secure in Obsidian's future—and let me tell you, I'm rooting for its 100-year plan. Obsidian reached its 25th anniversary despite almost going under multiple times in its history.
It would be criminal to lose the studio in the coming years because Xbox was not profitable enough, and Satya Nadella needs to fish more change out of the couch cushions to throw at AI datacenters and Copilot, the fourth most popular chatbot that lies to you.
Since most of AAA products are corporate crap managed by derp suits, this can be a good thing.
Those talented and veteran industry people can now be free of corporate constraints and find work someplace else.
They can either start their own studios or find a place somewhere else, in a more open, creative / innovative environment.
This. A pile of money doesn’t make a good game. You need exceptional people with a talented producer/owner. Someone like Vincent Icke for instance. In the end every aaa dev will decline and close cause the talent leaves and the suits take over.
Rockstar being the only exception, for as long as it lasts though. Obsidian is dead wood, they should close it down.
We know that great technology gets better when it gets simpler, not bigger. Today, in some parts of the company, work passes through as many as 14 layers of management. Our platform teams are 40% larger than they were at the start of this generation, even as our player base and playtime have declined. That complexity has slowed decisions, blurred accountability, and made it harder to deliver for players. As we reset XBOX, we will simplify.
Quote:
We have also learned that we are not the best home for every type of studio; in a typical year, we lost 64 cents for every dollar we invested
boundle (thoughts on cracking AITD) wrote:
i guess thouth if without a legit key the installation was rolling back we are all fucking then
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