id Software Employee Criticizes Xbox Leadership as "Bullshit Corporate Speak" During Ongoing Restructuring

Xbox is undergoing a major restructuring that includes thousands of layoffs, studio mergers, and closures. The latest round of changes moved Rare and World's Edge under Activision, shifted Obsidian to Bethesda, and resulted in 268 additional job cuts. While Xbox has made public statements about its strategic direction, employees paint a starkly different picture internally.

In comments to Aftermath, a current id Software employee expressed frustration with how leadership has communicated during the upheaval. "While there has been an attempt to communicate to the studios, it is still entirely in bullshit corporate speak," the employee said. "I still don't believe they have a clear vision for the future."

According to the employee, the only concrete message from leadership concerns profitability. "The only concrete thing they have communicated is they want higher profits, and they want it now. Aggressive goals are being set that would have been unrealistic even before the layoffs," they stated. The employee characterized morale within Xbox as severely diminished, noting that management's perceived incompetence continues to erode it further.

Other Xbox sources have described a workplace environment where employees feel compelled to "walk on eggshells," though precautions offer little protection against layoffs. "It's clear that it doesn't matter who you are, how long you've been there, or the work you've done," one source told Insider Gaming. "There doesn't really seem to be a rhyme or reason behind who stays and who goes other than, maybe, salary."

Xbox is expected to continue layoffs in coming months, though the total may fall short of the 3,200 cuts announced over the summer. The ongoing restructuring has already resulted in cancelled projects, including a new game at World's Edge, the developer behind Age of Empires.