Microsoft Studios Face Backlash Over Massive Layoffs
Hundreds of current and former developers at Microsoft-owned game studios have taken part in Save Our Devs rallies across North America, protesting thousands of layoffs and calling for fair labor practices. The rallies drew hundreds of people to studio campuses, despite scorching heat in some areas.
The event was not just a show of solidarity among the affected developers; it also included gamers who denounced the layoffs on Xbox's player forums and unions that filed unfair labor complaints. This is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger movement to address corporate greed in the industry.
'Each of the 1600 people from July's layoffs has their own unique tale,' said John 'Jebus' Roberts, a former developer at id Software who was caught in the first layoff wave. 'Every developer still employed at an Xbox studio lives in anxious fear, waiting to discover if they are one of the next 1600 stories.'
The Save Our Devs rallies aimed to bring attention to the situation and call out Microsoft for ignoring federal labor laws.