World's Edge, the studio responsible for the Age of Empires franchise, has experienced substantial layoffs, with nearly half of its staff being let go this week as part of broader cuts across Microsoft's Xbox division. These reductions are linked to Microsoft's projected target of 3,200 job losses for the current fiscal year.
Just days after it was announced that World's Edge would transition to operating under Activision, former employees have confirmed the scale of the impact on social media. A significant portion of the studio's workforce was terminated, and its next planned project has been canceled. Adam Isgreen, who served as the studio's creative director for 16 years, expressed his disappointment, stating that he and many talented colleagues "had some great plans for what's next." He added, "I hope the team that remains can rise to the occasion down the line."
Andrew Martz, formerly a senior software engineer at World's Edge, confirmed his layoff as part of the studio's reorganization under Activision. Greg Snook, a lead principal software engineer who had been with Microsoft for 25 years, also shared his termination experience while on vacation, noting it was "not a message I expected to get."
The future of World's Edge and the Age of Empires brand under Activision remains uncertain. While World's Edge oversaw the franchise's development, it often collaborated with external studios like Relic Entertainment, which handled the primary development for Age of Empires IV. This title, initially released on PC in 2021, has since been ported to Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Despite the recent upheaval, the Viking Sagas DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition launched this week, introducing three new civilizations and 15 new campaign scenarios.