Xbox 'reset' continues with 268 job cuts and Activision making the next Halo game
Xbox has announced 268 additional job cuts and significant studio consolidations as part of its ongoing corporate reset. Activision will now oversee the development of the next Halo game, while other studios like Obsidian and Playground are being reorganized under different divisions. The restructuring also includes the potential closure of Ninja Theory after failed sale attempts and the continued divestiture of other studios.
- ▪Xbox is laying off 268 employees across Halo Studios, management, and central functions as part of a broader restructuring plan.
- ▪Activision is taking over the development of the next Halo game and is now overseeing Rare and World's Edge.
- ▪Ninja Theory faces potential closure after two separate agreements to sell the studio collapsed.
- ▪Obsidian is moving under Bethesda's umbrella, while Playground and Turn 10 are merging to focus on Forza and Fable.
- ▪Microsoft is exploring options for Arkane Studios, including sale or closure, with consultations expected to continue through the end of 2026.
2 outlets in our directory ran this story. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ Call of Duty's Activision to make next Halo game as Xbox cuts more jobs — BBC News — Tech
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| Original publisher | Engadget |
| Canonical URL | https://www.engadget.com/2265293/xbox-reset-continues-with-268-job-cuts-activision-making-the-next-halo-game/ |
| Publication time | Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:57:18 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-22T14:58:50.969Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-22T14:58:50.969Z |
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| Cluster | 4yErWJcH2_yt · 2 stories |
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| Retrieval / RAG | May the content be exposed for third-party retrieval-augmented generation? | Not asserted |
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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Gaming Xbox Xbox 'reset' continues with 268 job cuts and Activision making the next Halo game Ninja Theory is at risk of closing after efforts to sell the studio fell through. By Kris Holt Sept. 22, 2026 10:57 am EST George Catalina/Unsplash Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover Xbox is laying off 268 people and consolidating studios as part of the "reset" it announced over the summer. In a memo to staff that Xbox shared publicly, the division's Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Content Officer Matt Booty said the job cuts are impacting Halo Studios and other first-party developers, as well as the Xbox Game Studios management and central functions team.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Engadget.
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