Part of these cuts are reportedly directly related to Microsoft's push into AI, and some of those impacted by the cuts are speaking out about how Microsoft is doing its "damndest" to replace people with AI as fast as it can.
You might think, then, that at least for a day, possibly even a few days, Microsoft would post-pone any more pushing of its AI technology into the faces of developers, publicly or privately. Not the case.
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Why are these people so fucking stupid.
> Necrosoft Games director, Brandon Sheffield, shared the beginnings of an email he received from Microsoft and ID@Xbox, inviting him to a roundtable at Gamescom 2025 where Microsoft will be talking up using “AI in our tools and processes to make the game development and publishing experience more efficient.”
> Below Sheffield’s post, other developers shared their response to getting the same invitation, with Toronto-based developer Benjamin Rivers saying “just get wrecked, mates.” Sheffield agreed, “they really should.”
> Meanwhile, these layoffs have left the talented workers and developers out of a job due to poor decisions made by a c-suite of executives who, for some reason still have their jobs, despite the fact that thousands of layoffs is a clear sign they messed up along the way, and pushed out veteran developers who contain a wealth of knowledge that the AI tools Microsoft is pushing cannot hope to replace.
If they were displaced because of their AI grift they wouldn’t have immediately turned around filed for even more H1B positions than they let go
Ugh bad look.
Microsoft is speedrunning it’s way to EA status in being scummy.
No one wants ai slop
Come develop games we’ll steal for gamepass then kill a year later!
Hahaha
They want to make AI churn out shitty games now, don’t they. We’re going to miss and long for shitty asset flips, at this rate.
Microsoft is slimy
This the ultimate “we’d like you to train your replacement” move. Speaking as a developer, Microsoft can fuck right off with this.
Out. Of. Touch.
This like Spencer last year telling their studios to make more smaller, award winning games after they shut down Tango Gameworks, who made a smaller, award winning game.
There will be a reckoning, and I guarantee these executives that are driving this destruction will see zero consequences. Absolute abhorrent behavior, it’s actually insane.
I hope it’s enforced to have a logo or something on games to show AI was used during development. Much like the age ratings logo. I’d like to know if a game I’m considering buying utilized AI for development. That’ll help me decide to not purchase those games.
this is gonna be a failure of such epic proportion, they will write books about it. soulless, feckless MBAs who talked like AI even before there was AI, thinks they can bypass creators and keep churning out content because they now own all the IPs.
I fucking hate Microsoft. They’re a cancer to gaming and I don’t care how many down votes I get.
Fuck them
Shouldn’t they invite their AI agents instead? Why would they enable human workers? That costs so much money.
There are enough amazing games made prior to usage of AI to last me a lifetime. I’m not spending a dime on generative AI slop.
And there it is, the real reason for all of these cuts. Microsoft invested too much money in AI and dammit they’re gonna use it as much as possible.
It’s funny to think that all these big companies will have AI developing a lot slop for a game and then it coming out being trash and selling less than an indie game like Peak or REPO
they were taking all the necessary steps to become a good competition to steam and some big name game publishers and they had to go and fuck everything up in a matter of days
Microsoft is imminently about to, and currently in the process of being the new EA
Man actually fuck right off Xbox, a whole ship full of clowns
People getting laid off because of AI blows, but its an absolute inevitability. There will be much more of this.
Microsoft about to take Nintendo’s place as the scummiest game company
“Alright, people, thank you for attending this meeting. Now tell us how you can make yourself obsolete while we further widen the wealth gap. Please be honest and fire away”. Freebie from me, MS host – no need to write your own opening statement.
Should replace CEOs with AI they would make better decisions and cost less
I’d like to think we could boycott games that are developed using AI to show this is not okay, but half the people that are angry about this are going to buy them anyway
For employees at Microsoft, use of AI is mandatory now. A condition of your employment and you can be fired for not using.
Disgusting. Game companies should be fucking ashamed of this.
I have nausea hearing about ai.
After forcing devs to use ai tools just to be able to clain that the studios loved working with it due to a high usage, just to fire them now this shit…
With record profits btw
I remember being so stoked for Microsoft and Xbox cuz of game pass and their selection of games
how have we fallen…
I used to prefer Xbox over Playstation (I play on PC) but now I can’t take a damn side
I can’t wait for the higher ups to end up with millions of lines of codes that look perfect but actually do nothing at all.
Why should I ever pay for something made by AI?
If they didn’t bother to make the game, why should I bother to pay?
Bethesda talked about ai quest design years ago. I have a feeling that’s being tested now and likely the driver for next elder scrolls.
Its not AI, its the ever rising “Hire and Fire” mindset in the companies
And there it is! You can’t beat out AI so good luck in the future unless developers make there own publishers and do it the right way. Xbox and PS will look like crap with content they bring out
Didn’t Microsoft also just request thousands of H-1B visas from India?
This ain’t even tone deaf, this just them not giving a single fuck
Hey this is what people wanted right? “artists stop complaining about AI and use it like a tool”… until you become obsolete and get laid off.
Xbox was enjoying such good press after a long time. Game Pass games were popping, first party games were reviewing well, great Showcase, good reception for the Xbox Ally X, anticipation for the handheld Windows version. It felt like it was finally swinging right for them.
And then they do this. It almost seems like they don’t want to be in a good limelight. Whenever they take three steps forward, they jump backwards a thousand steps.