Xbox Is Reportedly Planning Even More Cuts

In a development you don't see every day, following the closure of Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks, swarms of fans have expressed their outrage by positively review bombing the game on Steam. This reverse review bombing campaign has resulted in several thousand Positive new reviews rising to the top since the news of Bethesda's Microsoft-mandated restructure broke last week.

Though Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass has maintained a steady presence in the industry as one of its most prominent subscription services, its success might not last. From its original launch in 2017, Game Pass has seen significant growth, with an ever-expanding library of games that have come to boast some of the biggest releases in the industry — even highly-anticipated titles like and, both of which made their way to Game Pass day one of their respective release dates. However, as the service's growth stalls, its future may be uncertain.

With the Xbox Games Showcase less than a month away, rumors circulated about what could appear. Gears 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War are favorites, but The Initiative’s Perfect Dark may be another. After reports from Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb about it being in “rough shape,” insider Nate the Hate said it could make an appearance.

It's been a rough week for Xbox following multiple studio closures decided by Microsoft and the severe blowback from fans and fellow developers alike, not to mention reports of Perfect Dark having a rough time, but a new rumor suggests State of Decay 3, at least, might be coming along well.

Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has reportedly said Microsoft needs smaller games that will earn it «prestige and awards» a day after shutting down Tango Gameworks.

Microsoft shut down the widely admired studios behind Hi-Fi Rush and Prey earlier this week, but when asked about the closures, Xbox president Sarah Bond gave a nondescript response that success for each game "is really unique."

Xbox president Sarah Bond has responded to questions about Microsoft’s decision to shut a number of much-loved studios this week, insisting it was about ensuring the Xbox business remains healthy for the long-term during what she called “this moment of transition.”

Xbox President Sarah Bond has commented on the recent closure of Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks.

The closures of Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Studios and Arkane Austin, and folding of Roundhouse Studios into ZeniMax Online Studios may not be the end of Microsoft’s layoffs. The Verge’s Tom Warren reports that Xbox employees are “bracing for what’s next” and that there are “whispers among employees” of cutbacks at core Xbox Game Studios.

Ever since Microsoft started on their spending spree of acquisitions in 2018, gamers have feared the worst. Would Microsoft simply out-spend Sony to secure market dominance? Would PlayStation gamers be deprived of innumerable great games? Were they building Game Pass into a video gaming Death Star?

In one of the most double-think statements ever made outside of George Orwell’s 1984, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has told employees that “We need smaller games that give us prestige and awards,” just one day after closing down the game studio that was responsible for the prestigious award-winning game, Hi-Fi Rush.

The sudden closure of several video-game studios at Microsoft's Xbox division was the result of a widespread cost-cutting initiative that still isn't finished.