by Microsoft said Thursday it would cut 1,900 positions in its video game division, including Activision Blizzard, which it acquired for $69 billion three months ago.
The job cuts will be made at video game giant Activision, maker of hit games such as Call of Duty and Guitar Hero, as well as Xbox, according to a staff memo from Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Gaming, which was obtained by Los New York Times.
The cuts amount to a nearly 9 percent reduction from Microsoft’s 22,000-person video game team.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in areas that will grow our business and support our strategy of bringing more games to more players around the world,” Spencer said in the memo.
Microsoft, which is neck and neck with Apple as the world’s largest public company, completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in October after a year of regulatory hurdles.
Activision Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra also Announced on social media platform X that Thursday would be his last day at the company.
“Having spent over 20 years at Microsoft and with the Activision Blizzard acquisition behind us, it’s time for me to (once again) become Blizzard’s biggest outsider fan,” Mr. Ybarra wrote.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
