Xbox is cutting 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party development teams, and central management functions, according to an internal memo from Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty, published on Xbox Wire September 22 under the title "Continuing Our Reset."
What was said
Booty's message, sent to Xbox employees globally, frames the cuts as a continuation of a broader restructuring effort Microsoft outlined earlier this year, affecting Halo Studios alongside other first-party studios and the Xbox Game Studios central management layer.
Timing
The announcement lands in the same week as several notable Xbox releases and initiatives — the platform highlighted new day-one Game Pass launches including Gears of War: E-Day, Minecraft Dungeons II, and Dune: Awakening, and Xbox held a presence at Tokyo Game Show 2026 that included an appearance by Hideo Kojima.
Worth knowing
This is at least the latest in a series of Xbox restructuring moves through 2026. We don't have full details yet on which specific projects or roles are affected beyond what's been officially confirmed, and we'll update if Microsoft shares more.
Details sourced from Xbox Wire's official post and reporting from The Verge.