Xbox's Big Reset: Halo Goes to Activision, 268 Laid Off

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About this episode

Xbox lays off 268 staff in second restructuring of 2026, Activision takes over Halo franchise development as Halo Studios downsized to support role, Rare and World's Edge placed under Activision oversight as Age of Empires studio loses nearly half its team

Chapters

Sources & Citations

Ars Technica

arstechnica.com

Xbox Lays Off 268 More People, Hands Halo Series To Activision

gameinformer.com

Xbox Cuts 268 More Jobs, Hands Halo to Activision [2026]

tech-insider.org

Xbox Layoffs Continue With 268 Employees Cut; Activision to Develop Next ‘Halo’ Game as Part of Studio Reorg

variety.com

'Halo' to move under Call of Duty publisher as Xbox announces layoffs | Washington Post

www.washingtonpost.com

It's Officially the End of an Era For Halo | Polygon

www.polygon.com

Activision Taking Over Halo Franchise And What Remains of Halo Studios Will Now Be a Support Team | Kotaku

kotaku.com

"Good luck today, Halo friends": After years of rivalry, Call of Duty's creators have taken charge of Xbox's defining FPS series | Rock Paper Shotgun

www.rockpapershotgun.com

Age of Empires studio World's Edge reportedly lose nearly half their staff and a new game project in mass Xbox layoffs

www.rockpapershotgun.com

Xbox Restructuring Guts Age of Empires Custodian World's Edge, Cutting Half the Team as Activision Takes Over

wccftech.com

Rare & World's Edge will now report to Activision following Xbox layoffs

www.shacknews.com

All the Major Xbox Changes Microsoft Announced Today