Xbox cancels upcoming game amid brutal layoffs

Amid more brutal layoffs in the gaming industry with the most recent affecting 1,900 Activision Blizzard and Xbox employees, it has also been revealed that Blizzard’s upcoming survival game has also been cancelled.

This week saw more heartbreaking news of mass layoffs in the gaming industry with the announcement that Activision Blizzard and Xbox employees were next to be affected. With January already seeing 5,600 layoffs, we are already halfway to meeting the 10,000 total layoffs in 2023 and it shows no signs of slowing down.

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With thousands of Activision Blizzard and Xbox employees now facing unemployment, Xbox has added even more fuel to the fire by revealing that the untitled Blizzard survival game has also ceased development.

The news was announced by Microsoft’s game content and studios president, Matt Booty who says Microsoft will be “shifting some of the people working on it to one of several promising new projects Blizzard has in the early stages of development.”

Reportedly called Odyssey, the survival game which has been in development for over six years has now seen many of its development team laid off and as you can imagine, they are heartbroken.

“The entire Survival Team just got laid off,” wrote one developer. “I'll be radio silent while I sort out and feel my emotions before I figure out what's next. I loved working on this project with my team. It was the best thing I ever did in my career. I'm only sorry no one will get to see it.”

With the game promising a new world “different from any Blizzard has created”, its loss will be noted as previously released concept art hinted at a fantasy realm that gave fans The Chronicles of Narnia vibes. However, with thousands of employees now out of work, our thoughts and prayers are with them and any others affected by 2024’s mass layoffs.