Xbox Exec Tells Laid Off Workers to Ask AI for Emotional Support After Mass Firings

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Following the tough round of dismissals at Xbox, one executive proposed a helpful approach by advocating that AI might assist the displaced employees in managing their feelings.

Matt Turnbull, an Executive Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, recently shared a list of potential AI prompts on LinkedIn, which he thought might prove useful for individuals who have recently become unemployed. However, his post has since been removed.

This event occurred concurrently with Microsoft reducing its workforce by thousands, affecting numerous employees within the Xbox department, and simultaneously unveiling an $80 billion commitment towards artificial intelligence.

Or more concisely: The incident took place as Microsoft made job cuts (thousands across the company, hundreds in Xbox), while simultaneously announcing a $80 billion investment in AI.

In his article, Turnbull expressed that layoffs can be challenging and no one needs to face them alone. He went on to propose ideas about how advanced language models such as ChatGPT and Copilot might help alleviate the emotional and mental strain associated with unemployment.

These are indeed tough times, but remember, you’re not in this alone. There are resources available to help shoulder some of the burden. I’ve been exploring methods to utilize Artificial Intelligence tools powered by Large Language Models, aiming to alleviate the emotional and mental strain often associated with job loss.

He proposed that AI could assist in crafting resumes, LinkedIn profiles, networking messages, and even addressing issues like impostor syndrome. One of his suggestions was to rephrase the following: “I’m grappling with imposter syndrome after being let go. Could you help me reword this situation to remind me of my strengths?

After my post began garnering some online buzz, I suspect it was silently taken down – probably following responses suggesting it didn’t resonate favorably with folks who recently found themselves out of work. As a gamer, I can say that sometimes in our games, we have to adapt strategies based on the feedback we get from other players. In this case, it seems like I needed to rethink my approach.

I’m really mad that Phil’s email to us boasted about this being the most profitable year for Xbox, while simultaneously announcing these cuts.

The job cuts on July 2nd were simply a segment of a larger, worldwide reduction in workforce by Microsoft, affecting approximately 9,000 employees. Within Washington state, where Halo’s studios are situated, 830 jobs were eliminated. Although Microsoft asserts that the Xbox team sustained only a minor portion of the reductions, the Xbox division, being smaller within the company, experienced significant staff reductions and even entire studios closing down.

It was announced that projects similar to Perfect Dark and Everwild were terminated, resulting in significant reductions at Turn 10 Studios, the team responsible for Forza Motorsport. Additionally, Matt Firor, ZeniMax’s president, and Gregg Mayles, a long-time designer at Rare, reportedly left their positions, and Warcraft Rumble is being discontinued as well.

Lately, Microsoft has been making significant strides in artificial intelligence (AI). As stated by CEO Satya Nadella at the Meta’s Connect event, approximately one-third of the company’s code is now being written by AI. Moreover, Activision – a division that is now under Microsoft’s umbrella – has verified that AI was utilized during the development process of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

As reported by a different Xbox developer in an interview with Engadget, it appears that Microsoft is making significant efforts to automate jobs using artificial intelligence. In simpler terms, this source claims that Microsoft is trying to implement AI agents wherever possible to replace human roles.

For more than a year, Microsoft has been reducing its workforce within the Xbox division. In January 2024, they let go of approximately 1,900 employees, while another 650 were dismissed in September 2023. Notably, studios such as Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Tango Gameworks were shut down entirely. This series of events occurred despite Microsoft generating a revenue of $25.8 billion in the early part of 2025 and experiencing an 8% increase in Xbox content and services sales.

In numerous professional circles, the sentiment is unequivocal: despite the apparent success of Xbox, layoffs persist, game projects are getting shelved, and even artificial intelligence is being introduced to provide emotional aid.

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2025-07-05 13:15