CatSalad🐈🥗 (D.Burch) Jul 2
Kevin Beaumont

Yikes, Microsoft is laying off about 10k staff, majority Xbox. What a disaster.

I fear the MS SLT is destroying the Xbox unit by trying to make a brand rather than giving gamers great experiences.

https://www.theverge.com/news/693535/microsoft-layoffs-july-2025-xbox

Microsoft is laying off as many as 9,000 employees

Microsoft’s latest job cuts come after multiple rounds of layoffs over the past year.

The Verge
Jul 2 at 1:41pmWeb
Show threadKevin BeaumontJul 2

Lord, Microsoft cancelled Zenimax Online Studios new MMO - that they'd moved Elder Scrolls Online developers over to recently (hence why there's little ESO content from now on).

They've also locked the devs out of Slack without actually telling them they're fired, so they're finding out online.

Show threadKevin BeaumontJul 4
> lays off 9000 people citing pivot to AI
> tells people laid off to talk to AI
Show thread13 barn owls in a trenchcoatJul 4
@GossiTheDog i hate it here
Show threadMartin Boller     Jul 4
@GossiTheDog If I got an LLM generated "friendly letter" from a former coworker I wouldn't put a lot of effort into reciprocating in kind.
Show threadDave 🐶Jul 4
@GossiTheDog Fuck me. Why didn't he just go full hog and say: "Feeling suicidal and want someone to talk to? Perhaps ChatGPT is your answer!"?
Show threadBernard SheppardJul 4

@Cyberoutsider

Yeah, I snorted when I read that. Can I boost it or favourite it?

Fuck it, I will.

@GossiTheDog

Show threadB'ad Samurai 🐐Jul 4
@Cyberoutsider @GossiTheDog I think he did. Looks like ChatGPT's limiters on medical have been lifted, with the loss of good health insurance and all.
Show threadGytis RepečkaJul 4
@GossiTheDog Wow, such dumbass-ery from XBOX/Microsoft leadership side 
Show threadInterpipes 💙Jul 4
@GossiTheDog the whole point of keeping busy to not focus on the downside of some terrible life event is that you need "cognitive load"
Show threadmklovenotcyberJul 4
@GossiTheDog God, sometimes I wish this whole industry would burn down and "regroup".
Show threadManuel TejeraJul 4
@GossiTheDog Maybe he should do by example and get himself fired.
Show threadSam BlackJul 4
@GossiTheDog This is the new version of training your replacement?
Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialJul 4

@GossiTheDog the fucking gall

I feel like punching that guy in the throat

Show threadSamael Jul 4

@gsuberland @GossiTheDog

You and probably about 9000 people... minimum... fuck me....

Show threadRairii   Jul 4
@GossiTheDog say hello to the new Xbox Copilot
Show threadDanyJul 4
@Rairii @GossiTheDog you no longer need to play yourself. XBox Copilot will game for you!
Show threadDr. Christopher KunzJul 4
@GossiTheDog It seems he has deleted the post or made it private. It's no longer in his LI post history.
Show threadMathieuJul 4

@GossiTheDog That just cant' be real can it? How low self awareness can you have to write this kind of stuff?

This timeline just keeps on giving.

Show threadck0Jul 4
@GossiTheDog Linkedin at it best ...
Show threadmbpazJul 4
@GossiTheDog translation: "if we've fired you, don't bother asking us for help or advice, just talk to your computer instead. Get lost."
Show threadOggieJul 4

@GossiTheDog
This really does seem like a lot of effort to get a few more people to use their liebot, but I guess they really need to get those numbers up!

In all seriousness, this is just...awful.

Show threadbadambassadorJul 4
@GossiTheDog "stay kind"
Show threadwaemJul 4
@GossiTheDog i wonder what the prompt was for generating this 
Show threadXCondEJul 4
@GossiTheDog Matt Turnbull is an absolute twat.
Show threadClaudine C Jul 4
@GossiTheDog for a second I thought @davidgerard's blog had caused 9000 layoffs and didn't know whether to be horrified or impressed
Show threadDavid GerardJul 4
@claudinec @GossiTheDog i destroyed twitter, these guys are next
Show threadfuzzyfuzzyfungusJul 4

@GossiTheDog Has anyone gotten to work on the AICD-11 classification of personality disorders?

Apparently we already need it.

Show threadlucie digitálníJul 4
@GossiTheDog that is horrifying
Show threadArvīds KokinsJul 4
@GossiTheDog big "you're promoted to customer" vibes
Show threadBeeCyclingJul 4
@GossiTheDog Good thing that's been screen grabbed. Hope it will one day be presented in court as evidence for the prosecution. Or possibly by a defence lawyer, in mitigation...
Show threadDubi is here Jul 4
@GossiTheDog
"Chatgpt, write a social media post with some crappy advice for people who just got laid off to make it look like I care about them although I obviously don't"
Show threadDave 🐶Jul 2
@GossiTheDog Can't believe that Microsoft's game developers are using Slack, rather than the sweet SWEET mixture of Teams and Yammer (wait... is it not called that anymore??)
Show threadMartin Boller     Jul 2
@GossiTheDog Ugh.
Show threadGary Parker Jul 2
@GossiTheDog this is MS desperately trying to fund all the dev and infrastructure going into AI that no on wants and no one is buying, right?
Show threadChris WarwickJul 2
@WiteWulf @GossiTheDog
😂😂😂😂👍👍👍
x1000!
Show threadLandwombleJul 3
@WiteWulf @GossiTheDog it's quite scary and demoralising within MS right now 😟 I wonder what the cost ratio of FTE:Nvidia GPU is these days
Show threadAdrian SanabriaJul 2
@GossiTheDog Press Reset is a great read, dives into why crunch happens, studio shutdowns, churn in the game industry. Sad, but good read.
Show threadAdrian SanabriaJul 2
@GossiTheDog there are some amazing games that were 90% done and just got axed
Show threadSimonoidJul 3
@GossiTheDog it's not like humans actually do anything of value.../s
Show threadDźwiedziuJul 2
@GossiTheDog
Words can't express my disgust.
Show thread✌︎('ω'✌︎ )Jul 2
@GossiTheDog buying up a bunch of beloved developers and then firing them a few years later really sucks.
Show threadAndreas KJul 6
@andrewpakers @GossiTheDog Well, hiring and hiring to dope the stock price to make analysts happy is what is currently the “state of the art” in caring employers in the English-speaking world.
Show threadsigi714Jul 2
@GossiTheDog Lets do it like EA
Show threadSeth RichardsJul 2
@GossiTheDog What a weird layoff email. "We're doing great, but you've got to go." I've been through layoffs before and they've always been of the "We have to make difficult decisions to weather tough times" sort. The tone in this one is jarring and dissonant. Kind of makes me wonder if it was written by AI.
Show threadRobert Kist 🇦🇹🇸🇬Jul 2
@sethrichards @GossiTheDog pure greed and conjecture. "if we don't fire people now we won't be as successful as we're now in the future!". What an idiotic argument.
Show threadEmma-Martin has movedJul 2
@sethrichards @GossiTheDog Or it's written by oligarchic sadists who, given the political climate in the US, don't have to hide their gleeful sadism anymore.
Show threadDave 🐶Jul 2
@sethrichards @GossiTheDog "There is more bonus for me if there are less of you"
Show threadDavid Chisnall (*Now with 50% more sarcasm!*)Jul 2

@sethrichards @GossiTheDog

I read that as Phil Spencer saying:

Satya Nadella and Kevin Scott are complete fuckwits who don't understand that you keep growing by doing more of the thing that's actually driving revenue growth rather than throwing money at a buzzwordy money pit, but I'm not allowed to say that on the record.

But maybe I'm projecting.

Show threadUSB Type-Steve Jul 2
@GossiTheDog I just look back to when so many were cheering on the ABK acquisition as if it were going to be a good thing (when it was the exact opposite).
Show threadleberschnitzelJul 2
@GossiTheDog if they still release a device, it'll be a cloud focused one with Xbox Gamepass Ultimate or something...
Show threadThe Penguin of EvilJul 2
@leberschnitzel @GossiTheDog They've had huge opportunity for several years to add a combo of cloud gaming and also 'S' style windows as a gaming mode on all their machines where you reboot into a locked down "no cheating" game mode and call it a game console. When they also had enough game brand under their control that could have been a huge business success but they've now missed the bus (thankfully).
Show threadleberschnitzelJul 2
@etchedpixels they just don't want to make a box anymore. That's why the release everything everywhere now and push hard for GamePass @GossiTheDog
Show threadGaëtan PerraultJul 2

@GossiTheDog this all sounds like MS is still amping up the "rent collection" portion of their business. It looks like they've accepted that they're done building a lot of new stuff. They need to sit around and get money without making new stuff for a while, to keep investors happy.

It's crummy for the workers involved. But I think we're going to see this with all of the big Tech firms for a couple more years.

Show threadThe Penguin of EvilJul 2
@gatesvp @GossiTheDog Software writing is a bums on seats business (partly the industry's fault for not investing in proper tooling and process and automation). Americans are expensive and not special. Contract stuff moved long ago, most embedded stuff has because the fixed costs are usually split over a smaller unit count, big volume stuff has been dragged piece by piece that way (US managers, Indian devs, US senior managers, Indian managers, Indian devs etc - and many other countries too).
Show threadSystem AdminihaterJul 2
@GossiTheDog Xbox is dead. Sony and Nintendo are what remains.
Show threadThe Penguin of EvilJul 2

@systemadminihater @GossiTheDog Sony is a dead man walking, Nintendo is a glorified mobile gaming company that hangs on because of its existing pool of characters and brand.

It's been inevitable for years IMHO. Any gaming conversation goes "Xbox games cost so much now", "Oh I'm on PC, I've got 300 games on steam I bought when they were going cheap I've yet to play"

Now whether the PC only game market is sustainable for big big titles remains to be seen.

Show threadSystem AdminihaterJul 2
@etchedpixels I use game pass for 90% of stuff and I think it's an asset and not a liability. I think Microsoft's issue with Xbox is an unforced error. They should have the best hardware. They do not currently.
Show threadBilly O'NealJul 2
@GossiTheDog you mean “the whole company” or at least the parts that aren’t the AI hype train
Show threadevariste.gal🌈isJul 2
@GossiTheDog "HR is working directly with impacted employees to provide severance plan benefits (aligned with local laws)" LOL if they are aligned with laws, they are not benefits, they are worker rights, they always forget about others' rights
Show threadGavinJul 2

@GossiTheDog Looks like they went all-in on slop and decided to cut humans to compensate and maintain its margins. Another needless, pointless loss of jobs for yet more utter garbage.

https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/microsoft-lay-off-many-9000-employees-seattle-times-reports-2025-07-02/

×
Show threadSeth RichardsJul 2
@GossiTheDog What a weird layoff email. "We're doing great, but you've got to go." I've been through layoffs before and they've always been of the "We have to make difficult decisions to weather tough times" sort. The tone in this one is jarring and dissonant. Kind of makes me wonder if it was written by AI.
Show threadRobert Kist 🇦🇹🇸🇬Jul 2
@sethrichards @GossiTheDog pure greed and conjecture. "if we don't fire people now we won't be as successful as we're now in the future!". What an idiotic argument.
Show threadEmma-Martin has movedJul 2
@sethrichards @GossiTheDog Or it's written by oligarchic sadists who, given the political climate in the US, don't have to hide their gleeful sadism anymore.
Show threadDave 🐶Jul 2
@sethrichards @GossiTheDog "There is more bonus for me if there are less of you"
Show threadDavid Chisnall (*Now with 50% more sarcasm!*)Jul 2

@sethrichards @GossiTheDog

I read that as Phil Spencer saying:

Satya Nadella and Kevin Scott are complete fuckwits who don't understand that you keep growing by doing more of the thing that's actually driving revenue growth rather than throwing money at a buzzwordy money pit, but I'm not allowed to say that on the record.

But maybe I'm projecting.