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New Xbox Chief Faces Challenges Amid Major Game Cancellations

9/1/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Louise O'Connor is the new chief of staff at Xbox Game Studios, transitioning from Rare after 25 years.
Her appointment comes after the cancellation of Everwild and layoffs impacting 9,000 employees, roughly 4% of Microsoft's workforce.
Additional notable game cancellations include Perfect Dark and a ZeniMax MMORPG project.

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Story summary

Louise O'Connor is the new chief of staff at Xbox Game Studios, transitioning from Rare after 25 years.
Her appointment comes after the cancellation of Everwild and layoffs impacting 9,000 employees, roughly 4% of Microsoft's workforce.
Additional notable game cancellations include Perfect Dark and a ZeniMax MMORPG project.