Microsoft overtook Apple to become the world’s most valuable company. After a long hiatus, Microsoft’s shares rose 1.5 percent in the new year to a market capitalization of $2.888 trillion. However, according to The Verge, Microsoft Gaming’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Phil Spencer sent a memo to employees on the subject.
In the memo, Spencer reminded that it has been more than three months since the Activision, Blizzard and King teams joined Microsoft, and that Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard executives are committed to uniting on a strategy and execution plan with a sustainable cost structure to support the entire growing business.
Spencer stated that as part of this process, they decided to lay off approximately 1900 people in the game unit.
This number corresponds to about 9 percent of Microsoft’s gaming unit, which has 22 thousand employees.
It is noted that Activision Blizzard, Xbox and ZeniMax employees will be affected by the layoff.
On the other hand, Blizzard’s Executive Mike Ybarra announced on his X social media account that he will leave Blizzard.
Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard, the developer of games such as Call of Duty and Diablo, for about 69 billion dollars in October last year.
