Xbox Player Voice Flooded With Demands to Stop Studio Layoffs

Microsoft’s Xbox Player Voice feature is being used to spotlight a new round of layoffs, with users pushing for immediate changes to how the company handles studio staffing. One newly submitted proposal, titled “End studio closures and stop the cycle of layoffs,” has gathered roughly 1,300 supporters in a single day. That momentum places it among the most talked-about entries in the Player Voice program, which is typically meant for asking for new games or adjustments to upcoming releases.

The post is being promoted by a labor organization representing employees at Bethesda, a group that says it was hit hard by the latest job cuts. The union’s message urges Xbox to stop trying to reduce its losses through additional layoffs, arguing that the approach harms both workers and players. It also takes aim at Xbox’s recent handling of the situation—specifically pointing to a pattern where a studio is showcased for a new project, only to be eliminated weeks later.

Xbox Is Facing Pressure From Fans And Workers

“The layoff of 3,200 workers at Xbox (across Activision, Bethesda/ZeniMax, Blizzard, King, Mojang, Obsidian, id Software, and XBOX Game Studios) is unacceptable,” the proposal posted to Xbox’s official site says. “This continues a pattern that has led to 10,000+ layoffs at Xbox in as little as two years. Multiple studios have been closed or had their futures jeopardized (Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Undead Labs, Ninja Theory, Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Studios) and numerous games have been cancelled.”

The submission then lays out a set of clear requests:

• “Transparency for Players” — Presenting games from studios that are later intended for sale or closure “weeks later” is described as damaging for players.
• “Keep Teams Together” — The post calls for no layoffs over the next two years and an end to studio closures, adding that shutting studios directly harms the audiences that support those teams.
• “Xbox is already profitable without reaching a billion people every day — Stop constraining Xbox by the unrealistic profit expectations of the Microsoft Accountability Margin.”
• “Trust the Developers” — The proposal asks Xbox to bargain in good faith with unions and developers, so both creators and players can be better represented.
• “Layoffs are a Failure of Leadership — No executive bonuses when there is a layoff.”
• “Invest in the Future of Gaming” — The post argues that Xbox should back the next generation of game developers instead of leaning into unpopular technologies like AI that players don’t want. It also claims that development know-how is the strongest asset a game company can have.

The first demand is tied to how Xbox recently handled Ninja Theory. At a recent Xbox presentation, the studio announced Senua, described in the proposal as a brand-new game. Not long after the reveal, reports claimed Ninja Theory was facing closure or being broken up for sale. In the end, Xbox did find a buyer, but the argument from fans is that the Senua announcement may have been used to encourage the acquisition rather than delivering on what Xbox players were led to expect.

A similar concern is raised about another studio, Undead Labs, which was also sold off. The post suggests that as a result, State of Decay 3 may not even remain on Game Pass anymore—implying that these business decisions could reshape how players access upcoming releases.

Supporters also point out that the layoffs seem to clash with goals Xbox has publicly discussed. There has been plenty of talk about how eager Xbox is to get major franchises like Elder Scrolls and Fallout back on track, yet the company simultaneously rolled out layoffs across ZeniMax and Bethesda. The proposal claims this has likely disrupted the teams behind Fallout 76 and Elder Scrolls Online—titles that, according to the argument, have helped keep those properties active between traditional single-player releases.

At this stage, the full consequences of the layoffs are still unclear. So far, one additional target mentioned is Obsidian, which has been reported to have lost somewhere between 60 and 70 developers.