Microsoft is currently undergoing a major restructuring of its gaming division, which involves the elimination of 3200 positions. Amid these layoffs, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma visited Kojima Productions in Tokyo to meet with Hideo Kojima and inspect studio operations.
The visit coincided with the announcement that the game Physint, previously associated with Sony, will now be published by Microsoft. This move has drawn public criticism from industry figures, including Shannon Loftis, the former head of the World's Edge studio.
Loftis, who previously led the Age of Empires development team, expressed her frustration on social media. She criticized Sharma's management philosophy, specifically the principle of 'clarity is kindness,' which Sharma recently discussed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal regarding internal layoffs.
The restructuring at Xbox has impacted the World's Edge studio, leading to job losses. Loftis, who departed the company in 2022, publicly supported her former colleagues, noting that the news of the layoffs was heartbreaking for the team.
While Sharma's strategy focuses on securing high-profile partnerships like the project with Hideo Kojima to gain market attention, the contrast between these corporate moves and the ongoing workforce reductions has sparked significant internal and external backlash.
