Microsoft is planning major layoffs in its Xbox gaming business as early as next week after its fiscal year ends on June 30. The cuts mark the fourth big round in 18 months as the division faces pressure to improve margins following the $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition.
The layoffs come shortly after new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma admitted the business "isn't particularly healthy."
Sharma emphasized that annual revenue had declined nearly half a billion over the last five years despite more than $20 million in investment.
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Bethesda Game Studios told players its next single-player title is still on track and remains the main priority after recent Xbox reductions. The studio also announced closer cooperation with Zenimax Online Studios on the series and confirmed the project will use Creation Engine 3.
Bethesda Game Studios has placed Fallout 5 into early pre-production on Creation Engine 3 while simultaneously advancing remasters of Fallout 3 and New Vegas plus a separate Fallout title with Obsidian. The July 17 update underscores Fallout as a top priority even as internal reports describe post-layoff disarray and risks of further delays to the next Elder Scrolls title.
PlayStation and Insomniac Games released a new Marvel's Wolverine trailer that reveals Lady Deathstrike beating Logan while he grapples with his violent past. The PS5 exclusive launches on September 15 with an altered take on the character's backstory.
