The global business community is worried that the economy is entering rough seas, which spells bad news for those who work at the world’s biggest studios. Example: Riot Games, the company behind League of Legends, is cutting jobs. Respected esports writer Jacob Wolf has heard from “several sources” that “Riot Games is announcing redundancies.” Wolf’s sources claim the cutbacks would hurt “recruitment and selection & human resources, maintenance, and esports,” but it’s unclear how widespread the cuts will be at this point.
It’s in keeping with a larger trend in the internet, gaming, and entertainment industries as economic hardship starts to touch many companies, Wolf said, adding that Riot “has generally not made many cutbacks in the workforce in the past.”
Microsoft, one of the biggest firms affected by widespread layoffs, recently stated it would be cutting 10,000 positions by the conclusion of March. According to Microsoft, income has plummeted as consumers “maximize their digital expenditures to achieve more with less,” making layoffs inevitable. In a financial statement, the corporation also revealed that it intends to make adjustments to its electronics portfolio and combine its real estate holdings.
Kotaku has reported that Microsoft has been laying off a lot of people at Xbox Game Studios. A number of workers at Bethesda, The Coalition, and 343 Industries have allegedly lost their jobs, which might have an impact on the production of Starfield, Coalition’s new intellectual property, and Halo Infinite.
Unity, creators of one of the most widely used video game engines, has also been hit by layoffs. In response to a “reassessment of our goals,” CEO John Riccitiello announced the layoff of over 300 employees and the cancellation of numerous internal technological projects, notably one that would have allowed fans to see a sportscast from whatever angle they choose.
