World’s Edge has reportedly lost just under half of its staff as part of Microsoft’s latest Xbox layoffs, according to longtime creative director Adam Isgreen. Isgreen, who was also among those affected, said the Age of Empires studio was not spared from the September 22 cuts despite simultaneously being moved under Activision as part of Microsoft’s broader gaming reorganization. Microsoft has confirmed 268 job eliminations across Xbox but has not provided a studio-by-studio breakdown.
Isgreen disclosed the scale of the cuts in a post tied to his departure from Microsoft after roughly 16 years with the company. He said that “just under half” of World’s Edge had been let go, including himself. Microsoft has not independently confirmed that percentage, so the figure currently comes from a senior employee directly affected by the layoffs rather than an official headcount.
World’s Edge was created in 2019 to oversee the Age of Empires franchise and coordinate development across a network of external and internal partners. The studio has served as the central steward for projects including Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, Age of Empires IV and Age of Mythology: Retold, while working with developers such as Forgotten Empires and Relic Entertainment. Isgreen had been one of the most visible senior figures associated with that work.
The reported reductions arrive on the same day Microsoft announced that World’s Edge would move under Activision’s organizational structure. Activision is also taking responsibility for Rare and will establish a new purpose-built team to develop the next Halo title, while World’s Edge remains associated with Age of Empires. Microsoft says the wider restructuring is intended to reduce the number of separate business units and group teams that already work closely together.
That context makes the scale reported by Isgreen particularly notable. World’s Edge is not being closed or divested, but the studio appears to be undergoing a substantial reduction while being repositioned inside Microsoft’s gaming hierarchy. The broader 268-role Xbox layoff round has also affected Halo Studios, The Coalition, Treyarch and other teams, according to Microsoft statements and employee disclosures.
Microsoft has not said how the World’s Edge cuts will affect individual Age of Empires projects or future content plans. The franchise remains active across several games, with ongoing expansions, updates and cross-platform releases. Most recently, Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition received its Baltic Powers expansion, adding new civilizations, maps and scenarios to the long-running strategy game.
The Age of Empires organization also differs from a conventional single-game development studio because World’s Edge has historically coordinated work with outside development partners. That structure means a reduction at World’s Edge does not necessarily translate directly into the loss of an equivalent share of active developers working on every Age project. However, cutting nearly half of the central team would still represent a significant reduction in the management, production and franchise-level functions overseeing the series.
Microsoft’s September restructuring extends well beyond World’s Edge. Halo development is shifting to Activision, Obsidian Entertainment is moving under Bethesda, Playground Games and Turn 10 are being combined into one organization focused on Forza and Fable, and King is taking responsibility for Microsoft Casual Games. The company also confirmed that Ninja Theory is undergoing consultation over a proposed closure after two attempts to transfer the studio to new ownership fell through.
For World’s Edge specifically, Microsoft’s official announcement only confirms the organizational move to Activision and does not quantify the number of jobs eliminated. The “just under half” figure therefore remains based on Isgreen’s first-hand account rather than a Microsoft-issued figure. With the company still working through its wider restructuring, further details may emerge from additional employee disclosures or future statements about the Age of Empires team’s new structure.
