Several Xbox games were cancelled after tech giant Microsoft announced mass layoffs last week, affecting around 9,000 people.
While the number of Xbox employees affected remains unclear, Microsoft has confirmed the cancellation of several games and the closure of entire studios.
In a memo sent to employees by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, it was maintained that the layoffs were necessary to allow for the “enduring success” of Xbox.
“We will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness,” he said.
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Spencer added, “I recognise that these changes come at a time when we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before. Our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger.”
Here is a look at the cancelled Xbox games;
British developer Rare’s upcoming game Everwild has been cancelled after remaining in development for around 10 years.
A new MMORPG from ZeniMax Online Studios, the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online, was reportedly scrapped, with the project rumoured to be under the codename Blackbird.
Microsoft’s newly-formed studio, The Initiative, is shutting down, and its much-anticipated Perfect Dark reboot has been cancelled.
Additionally, High Moon Studios, the co-developer behind Call of Duty: Warzone, is also feeling the effects of recent layoffs at Xbox.
Meanwhile, Blizzard Entertainment has revealed that it will cease ongoing support for Warcraft Rumble in its current form.
While the game will still receive critical bug fixes and system updates, no new content will be added.
John and Brenda Romero’s Romero Games confirmed that the funding for their new game has been cancelled by an undisclosed publisher.
While the developers have not named Microsoft as the developer, reports suggest that it might be the tech giant.