The expected cuts in Microsoft’s gaming division have begun, says Bloomberg, and it seems Candy Crush maker King is among the hardest hit.
Bloomberg’s sources suggest around 200 staff will be cut at King, around 10% of its staff.
We have asked King for confirmation but the firm has yet to reply. King’s parent company Microsoft did respond, but couldn’t confirm any details. It did, however, send us this statement: “We continue to implement organizational and workforce changes that are necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace.”
[UPDATE: One person close to the company has told us that 96 staff have been cut in Stockholm and 30 in Barcelona. The other 70 or so roles being eliminated are expected to be a combination of King’s London, Berlin and remote workers. The entire narrative and UX writing teams have also been let go, and lots of people at risk are in “middle management roles with very few direct reports”.
“It’s a very bloated and slow org so it’s not a surprise that they would cut from there,” our source said of the cuts to middle management.
They added: “It’s also been handled very poorly from what I hear from those on the ground.”]
Layoffs had been expected within Microsoft’s gaming division since last week, when another Bloomberg story suggested major job cuts could be announced today.
Today’s report suggests that European layoffs have been announced to those affected already, but there may be more to come within the US operation, which also includes Blizzard, Activision and ZeniMax studios.
In May, Todd Green was confirmed as the new president at King, taking over from Tjodolf Sommestad, who has stepped away from the company after nearly 14 years, having served as president for the last three years.
Green took over as King’s president on June 1 having worked at King for 12 years in various leadership positions, including most recently as GM of the Candy Crush franchise.
